News

Former Chief of Main Military Medical Directorate Alexander Belevitin and his Deputy Alexey Nikitin convicted in Moscow

The court has recognized the evidence collected by Main Military Investigations Directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee as sufficient to convict former Chief of the Main Military Medical Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry, Director of Kirov Military Medical Academy Major General of Medical Service Alexander Belevitin and his Deputy, Head of the Department Colonel of Reserve Medical Service Alexey Nikitin. They were found guilty of the crime under part 1 of article 285 (abuse of official powers). In addition Belevitin was found guilty of crimes under paragraph “c” of part 5 of article 290 of the RF Criminal Code (bribe-taking in a preliminary conspiracy and on a large scale) and Nikitin – of a crime underpart 5 of article 33 and paragraph “c” of part 5 of article 290 of the RF Criminal Code (mediation in bribe-taking in a preliminary conspiracy and on a large scale).

Investigation and court have established that in 2009 Alexander Belevitin and Alexey Nikitin entered a criminal conspiracy and gave instructions to their subordinate officials to make tender documents so as to ensure victory of certain commercial organizations. The said actions resulted in purchasing 2 CAT scans worth over 187 million rubles within the frameworks of government contracts on delivery of medical equipment for the Defense Ministry. For the said actions the officials received from representatives of commercial organizations a total of 180 thousand rubles as a bribe.

During the inquiry military investigators conducted dozens of searches and expert examinations including handwriting, phonoscopic, complex commission medical technical and economic legal inquiries.

At the primary stage of the investigations Belevitin and Nikitin many times tried to influence people involved in order to impede collection of evidence. It was found that the accused had given instructions to their subordinates to destroy the tender documentation signed by Belevitin and tried to persuade witnesses to give false evidence. Considering all this, investigator filed a petition to put the accused into custody, which was satisfied.

Preliminary investigation was completed in January this year. Nikitin and his lawyers almost finished reading 53 volumes of the case within 2 months. Belevitin, on the contrary, deliberately was dragging out the process reading only 20-30 pages a day. When it became clear that his reading could take up to 8 months, the court on the initiative of the investigators limited the reading time.

At the end of the investigation Colonel of Reserve Medical Service Alexey Nikitin completely admitted his guilt, whereas, Alexander Belevitin continued insisting on his absolute innocence. During 13 months of meticulous work by military investigators it was possible to collect sufficient evidence to send the case to the court. All this and other evidence allowed prosecution of a corrupt law enforcement despite all his attempts to avoid the well-deserved punishment.

The court sentenced Belevitin to 8 years in a minimum-security correctional facility and a fine of 900 thousand rubles. The court also bereaved Belevitin of his military rank of major general of medical service.

Considering that Nikitin during hearing and preliminary investigation had completely admitted his guilt and actively cooperated with the investigators the court sentenced him to a fine of 1 million 700 thousand rubles.

In addition, the court bereaved Belevitin and Nikitin of the right to take certain positions in state bodies for 3 years.