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Former vice-governor of St. Petersburg held in Moscow on suspicion of fraud

The Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Investigative Committee has detained former vice-governor of Saint Petersburg Marat Oganesyan suspected of a fraud while constructing a football stadium on Krestovsky island.

Investigators together with agents of regional offices of the Federal Security Service and Economic Security and Corruption have revealed that more than 50 million rubles was stolen in 2014 after ZAO IK Transstroi, a general constructor, and TDM, a joint-stock company concluded a contract for the delivery of a video scoreboard for the football stadium.

When the investigators started looking into the scheme that made the stealing possible, they have found out that former vice-governor of Saint Petersburg Marat Oganesyan while in charge of the project, ensured that TDM company was illegally employed as a subcontractor. He also made sure that an advanced payment of 50 million 480 thousand rubles was later transferred to the company and stolen via sham firms. Oganesyan was aware all the time that the company had no intention whatsoever to deliver the video scoreboard.

Additionally, the investigators also revealed that Alexander Yanchik, the former first vice-president of the Saint Petersburg Administration’s Construction Committee, was involved in the crime since he signed documents authorizing the transfer of the said advance payment, as was Grigory Popov, who was the actual head of TDM company. Yelena Kovalyova and Artyom Kuspits, employees of the said company, were also identified as accessories to the crime. Yanchik, Popov and Kovalyova are actively cooperating with the investigation. Kuspits has been taken to custody, but he pleads not guilty.

The actions of the suspects caused the budget of Saint Petersburg a damage of more than 50 million rubles.

At present, the investigators and agents of the Federal Security Service are searching Oganesyan’s residences in the city of Moscow and in Moscow Region. The investigators are going to ask courts to take him in custody pending trial. The investigation is ongoing.