News

In Chuvashia high-ranking officials of local Ministry of Health to appear in court on charges of abuse of powers while buying CT scanners and angiography systems

Chuvash Republic investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have finished investigation of a criminal case against Deputy Minister of Public Health and Social Development of Chuvash Republic Nadezhda Osipova, 42, and Head of Logistics Department of Medical and Social Help Development Office of Chuvash Republic Ministry of Public Health and Social Development Natalia Poletayeva, 39. They are charged with three episodes of a crime under part 3 of article 285 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code (abuse of official powers entailing grave consequences).

According to investigators, in 20082009 Poletayeva prepared documents to conclude seven government contracts on delivery to hospitals of Chuvash Republic ten CT scanners and two angiography systems and Osipova concluded the contracts with the suppliers with grave violations of the Russian laws. This way, the suspects while preparing tenders documentation did not used help of highly-qualified specialists to determine technical parameters and price the medical equipment supposed to be bought at, did not carry out monitoring of prices on CT scanners and angiography systems, did not inquire official representatives of leading foreign manufacturers of the mentioned equipment in the Russian Federation after necessary information on its technical characteristics and prices. As the result the tenders documentation was executed in a way so that the parameters stipulated in the requirements specification were met by equipment manufactured by only certain companies and this eliminated other organizations selling equipment of other manufacturers and limited competition of business entities. Moreover, the initial (maximum) price on the lots was evidently overrated and was set based on overall sum assigned by federal and republican budgets, but not on actual prices for medical equipment. Further on, though some equipment offered did not meet few requirements of tenders documents Osipova concluded the above mentioned contracts basing on the documents executed by Poletayeva. One of the contracts purposefully did not stipulated ultimate contract date for the supplier. In addition, the contracts had a provision that payment was effected for both medical equipment and works and service to mount it, to put it into operation and training of the purchaser’s staff to use the equipment. However, instead of suppliers, the services were rendered free of charge by manufacturers, as it turned out that suppliers did not have any license to maintain medical equipment they sell. Prices on the equipment delivered on government contracts were considerably different from those on the safe CT scanners and angiography systems at immediate manufacturers. After the medical equipment was delivered, Osipova signed not dated orders on commission and briefing of the specialists on the work with the equipment purchased though actually these services were provided by representatives of manufacturers, and then she also signed payment orders, by which later money was paid. As a result the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of Chuvash Republic had no chance to judicially demand penalties from contractors for improper execution of the government contracts. As investigators believe, the above mentioned actions were made by the accused in order to embellish efficiency and productivity of their professional activity in implementation of state programs and spending the assigned funds, to receive for it financial incentives and to raise the authority of Chuvash Ministry of Public Health and Social Development before that of the Russian Federation. As a result of abuse of powers by the accused the budgets of Chuvash Republic and the Russian Federation sustained damage of more than 240 million rubles overall.

There are 40 volumes in the case. During the investigation international orders on legal assistance were sent to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The files of the case against organizations participating in supplies of medical equipment and charged with a crime under part 4 of article 159 of the Russian Federation Criminal Code (swindling on especially large scale) were severed into a separate lawsuit. The case is being investigated and all the circumstances are being found out.

Investigators have collected enough evidence, the case with the approved indictment is, therefore, sent to the court to be tried on the merits.