Liivi Tšižova (49), Valentina Semjonova (57), and Jelena Ivanova (60) worked at the Koidula border checkpoint waiting area. They reportedly lived in Russia, working on the Estonian side of the border at the Koidula crossing.

They were convicted of accepting bribes worth tens of thousands of euros to let trucks skip the wait line. Crossing times are now much longer as border guards carry out additional checks to make sure sanctioned goods are not being taken into Russia.

District prosecutor Gerd Raudsepp told ERR: "When a trucker knew they would reach the border in, say, two hours, they registered in the [queuing] system. After reserving a place in the information system, the drivers, logistics company managers, or persons connected to them, would inform the registrars which vehicle number or booking should be directed to the border with priority. Such communication often took place both over the phone and through messaging apps."

The three women worked for a private company called Railservis, which manages the Koidula waiting area. C-category freight trucks are directed to the area to wait for their border crossing time. Drivers are required to register in advance in the GoSwift information system. They are then directed to the crossing point at the correct time.

According to the prosecution, this access to the system evolved into a corrupt scheme on the part of the sisters. Drivers and logistics company representatives offered the women money in exchange for being sent to the border out of turn and with priority.

The prosecutor said their actions were a systematic and deliberately organized scheme. Tšižova, Semjonova and Ivanova each had their own client base. "For example, person A communicated only with one defendant, while person B dealt only with another. Each of the three women essentially had her own clientele," Raudsepp said.

The scope of the scheme is also illustrated by the figures: Liivi was found to have permitted at least 88 trucks to skip the line, on behalf of 11 clients, Valentina did so in 160 instances for five clients; Jelena in 121 cases, for eight clients.

The initial standard price charged by the trio for one crossing was approximately €50. But as demand and wait times rose, so too did the sums — first to €75, then €125.

"In one driver's case, a bribe of as much as €250 was found to have been paid for a single border dispatch. According to the convicted women, it was mostly the client who set the price — in situations where the client was willing to pay €250 for priority passage, it was naturally better for the registrar than receiving just €50," the prosecutor noted.

According to the court's findings, based on the evidence considered, Semjonova took in a total of €19,077 in illicit takings resulting from the scheme. For Ivanova the figure was €8,993 and for Tšižova, €5,154

During the arrests, only a small amount of cash – €315 – was found and confiscated. The remaining sums must be repaid to the Estonian state via criminal asset recovery proceedings.

Although the women worked for a private company, the prosecutor emphasized that this was an outsourced public function. The state had assigned border wait line management to Railservis under an administrative contract, meaning the three were performing a public duty.

"When a task arises from law and its performance serves the public interest, it means that the private company employee acts in the role of a public official," the Raudsepp noted.

A parallel comes, he said, with vehicle inspectors — private employees with state authorization who are considered public officials.

The criminal investigation was launched on March 31, 2025, based on information gathered in the course of a separate criminal proceeding.

The suspects were detained in May and initially claimed they were not guilty. However, over time, they began cooperating with the prosecution and admitted their actions within a few weeks of arrest.

The prosecutor explained the motivation behind this change of heart. "Remorse did not come immediately. They had time to think and realized the consequences. From the second interrogation onward, they confessed and expressed regret, helping to advance the proceedings," Raudsepp said.

The prosecutor justified the arrests by noting the risk that the women could leave the country, given their dual citizenship and residence in Russia, as well as the risk that they might continue their criminal activities.

"After the suspects were detained, the prosecution believed that releasing them would pose a serious risk, due to fear of criminal proceedings and potential punishment, they might not return to Estonia and would be unreachable to investigators. There was also a risk that they would continue working at Railservis and keep taking bribes, as this had become a regular source of income for them," the prosecutor continued.

In total, the sisters spent four months in custody.

The Tartu County Court has now found the women guilty under Section 294, subsection 2, clauses 1 and 3 of the Penal Code.

Semjonova received a sentence of three years and six months, of which four months must be served in prison, with the rest suspended for a probationary period of three and a half years.

Tšižova was sentenced to three years and two months in prison, of which four months must be served immediately, with the remainder suspended for a probationary period of three years and three months.

Ivanova was sentenced to two years and eight months, with four months to be served in prison and the rest suspended for a probationary period of two years and ten months.

All three must also bear procedural costs and as noted reimburse the criminal proceeds to the state. The court's decision has now entered into force.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!