The key facts

  • Gazmanov's ex-director Dmitry Tsarenko claims the singer gave false testimony in court
  • Tsarenko was sentenced to imprisonment in a fraud case; according to Gazeta.Ru, terms of seven and four years are cited in different accounts
  • Tsarenko does not admit guilt and claims he transferred all the money to the artist

New statement from Tsarenko's defense

Oleg Gazmanov's former director Dmitry Tsarenko has stated that the artist gave false testimony in court. This was reported by his lawyer Yevgeny Erlikhman, as relayed by REN TV. According to the lawyer, Gazmanov previously denied that money was handed over in cash to his wife and mother-in-law, but at a hearing in the Khoroshyovsky District Court he confirmed these circumstances. The defense believes the singer gave false testimony in the Dmitrov City Court, where the criminal case was heard.

The essence of the conflict and the verdict

The conflict began in 2024, when Gazmanov turned to law enforcement, suspecting his director of embezzling concert earnings. According to Gazeta.Ru, in August the court sentenced Tsarenko to seven years in prison in a fraud case; the same report states that for 13 counts of fraud totaling 10.4 million rubles he received four years in a penal colony, and later another case emerged involving 17 similar counts totaling 15.3 million rubles. In both cases the artist is listed as the victim. The outlet does not clarify how these sentences relate to each other.

Tsarenko's position

Tsarenko himself does not admit guilt. He claims that he transferred money to the singer in full and by agreement, and routed the funds through his sole proprietorship for Gazmanov's convenience — handing them over in cash or transferring them to a personal account. According to the defense, 44 million rubles were transferred to the artist's accounts over five years, and if Gazmanov does not consider this money payment for performances, he is obliged to return it. Earlier, Tsarenko was also accused of using Gazmanov's songs.