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In Altai Territory, charges of fraud in providing housing to needy ones

The Altai Territory Office of the Investigative Committee has charged three local residents with fraud while providing housing to orphans and their families committed on a very large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the RF Penal Code).

According to investigators, one of the accused while serving as the head of the legal and documentation support office of the Altai Territory Directorate for Construction, Transport, Housing Utilities and Road Services fraudulently planned a number of crimes to gain profit and involved in them the head and one of workers of a real estate agency in the town of Barnaul.

The official by virtue of her position had necessary information on planned electronic bidding for the housing, its initial price and requirements made to the flats. She transmitted the said information to real estate agents under her control, who found flats in poor operational, functional and technical condition provided to orphans and children with disabilities and the price of which was lower than the one announced for the bidding. They sought them out to make government contracts on the supply of housing under the 2016 territory investment program.

Later, by deceiving the sellers of the flats, acting under their power of attorney and on behalf of the Altai Territory Administration, the accused concluded contracts of real estate sale. They took the difference between the prices of the flats and divided it among them.

By joined efforts the accused sold at least 7 flats causing Altai Territory a damage of more than 1.2 million rubles.

At present residences of the accused have been searched, more than 70 people have been questioned, the flats have been examined and the flats under sale have been evaluated. The investigators are now collecting and documenting the evidence. Other investigative and search operations are underway to find out if there were other crimes committed by the accused. The investigation is ongoing.