High-Profile Russian IT Mogul Charged with Bribery from Abroad

Sergei Matsotsky, a co-founder of the prominent Russian IT company IBS and a key figure in the nation’s technology landscape, has been charged with large-scale bribery while in absentia, as reported by a Moscow court on Friday.

The Basmanny District Court indicated that Matsotsky had exited Russia before the decision was made. Specifics regarding the charges remain undisclosed.

According to the press service of the Moscow court system, Matsotsky is accused of orchestrating a substantial bribe, having significantly contributed to the development of Russia’s domestic IT sector.

In 2020, Matsotsky and his IBS co-founder Anatoly Karachinsky divided their business interests, leading Matsotsky to establish GS-Invest, a holding company focused on software development and systems integration.

He has maintained strong business relationships with companies linked to the Russian state, including discussions with Gazprombank to form a collaborative IT venture.

In 2021, Matsotsky collaborated with former Rostelecom executive Andrey Cheglakov to initiate a project called Rusim.

He also acquired L2U, a Russian enterprise specializing in IT support software. L2U serves clients associated with Matsotsky, such as Budget and Financial Technologies, as well as other organizations like LokoBank, Bank Soft Systems, Notamedia, and Handysoft.