The previously opened investigation into abuse of official powers while accepting housing units unfit for living by officials of the Ministry of Construction and Development of Housing and Utilities Complex of the Republic of Buryatia is continuing. During the preliminary investigation, Deputy Minister – Chairman of the Acceptance Commission for the Ministry of Construction and Development of Housing and Utilities Complex of the Republic of Buryatia Sergey Rybalchenko was charged. The official was detained by the Buryatia Republican Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. In addition, an investigation was opened into 35-year-old individual entrepreneur Sergey Domshoev under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia (swindling committed on a very large scale, resulting in the deprivation of the citizen’s right for housing). Based on the evidence gathered by the investigation during the initial investigative and procedural actions, the man has already been charged with swindling of more than 195 million roubles.

According to the investigation, in 2015, the Ministry of Construction and Development of Housing and Utilities Complex of the Republic of Buryatia planned to purchase residential houses in Sotnikovo rural settlement of Ivolginsk District of Buryatia under a public programme, in order to create a special-purpose housing foundation for orphans and children left without parental care. In order to steal the funds allocated for this programme from the budget, Domshoev registered a number of his acquaintances as individual entrepreneurs, and then, virtually managing their activities, he participated in the auctions, as the result concluding an agreement with the Ministry of Construction and Development of Housing and Utilities Complex of the Republic of Buryatia to build 254 housing units totalling more than 195 million roubles. Following that, Domshoev organised the construction of housing units so that it grossly violated the construction regulations, without construction design supervision and oversight, with cheaper building and finish materials. Due to his deliberately committed construction regulations violations, the housing units that he constructed had critical defects making them impossible to live in. After that, the entrepreneur handed over to the client the said units, built, according to the investigation, only to create the appearance that the state contract conditions were fulfilled. Despite obvious defects, the Ministry of Construction and Development of Housing and Utilities Complex of the Republic of Buryatia officials signed the acceptance report of the constructed housing units, after which the entire amount stipulated by the state contract was transferred to the bank accounts of Domshoev and his accomplices.

The two investigations have been combined in one. The custody detention for Domshoev and Rybalchenko is being considered. The investigation activities required to define the complete picture of the offence, as well as to restore the violated rights of affected citizens from the orphans and children deprived of parental care, who received substandard housing, continue.