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Founder and Director General of corporate entity accused of embezzlement of funds allocated for medicine development and production to stand trial

The Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia completed the investigation against the founder and the Director General of NTpharma LLC Rustam Ataullakhanov and Yevgeny Sultanov. Depending on the involvement of each, they are accused of committing offences under Part 3 of Article 33; Part 4 of Article 160 (embezzlement of entrusted property by misappropriation on a very large scale); as well as under Paragraph B of Part 4 of Article 174.1 (legalisation of amounts of money acquired by a person as the result of an offence committed by them) of the Criminal Code of Russia.

According to the investigation, in order to embezzle other people’s property, Ataullakhanov solely established NTpharma LLC and hired Sultanov as the director in November 2008. Later, they conspired and Ataullakhanov secured an investment agreement worth 1.3 billion roubles between RUSNANO JSC and NTpharma LLC for the development and production of medicines. Under the agreement, RUSNANO JSC transferred indicated funds to the account of NTpharma LLC.

Then, by organizing a network of shell companies controlled by him, Ataullakhanov with the help of Sultanov transferred to their accounts the funds received from the corporation under the guise of research and construction, supplies of equipment and other commodities and materials, although de facto these works and supplies were not carried out by the companies. As a result, over 424 million roubles provided by RUSNANO JSC in a form of special-purpose loan were transferred to the accounts of the contractors.

Later, Ataullakhanov conducted financial transactions with embezzled funds under the guise of payments for fictitious supplies of commodities and materials, brokerage service, account dealings, laundering over 350 million roubles of previously embezzled funds.

During the preliminary investigation, a significant amount of work was carried out. The investigation was complex due to the need to assess the real volume of a research carried out, as well as the confusing scheme of embezzled funds concealment created by Ataullakhanov, using the account details of numerous shell companies located in several regions of the country. The investigators seized and thoroughly examined a significant amount of financial and other documentation, confirming the involvement of the accused in the commission of the incriminated offences.

The investigation gathered enough evidence; therefore, the criminal case with the approved indictment was sent to the court to be tried on the merits.