News

Murmansk Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have completed investigating a criminal case against Head of Murmansk Territorial Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Anatoly Semyonov. He is charged with a crime under paragraph “c” of part 3 of article 286 of the RF Criminal Code (exceeding official duties with grave consequences).

According to investigators, since 1997, the accused single-handedly, despite the established order, legal regulations and legal interests of the institution, without bidding and founder’s consent (Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring) and owner of the property (represented by Federal Agency for Management of Federal Property) concluded with a foreign company a freight agreement (lease) on the ship Professor Molchanov which was in federal property. Moreover, he on purpose did not evaluate the market price of the lease and without permission set the rate significantly lower than its real amount. As per the agreement, the foreign company undertook to carry out regular hydrometeorological observations and to transmit the information to the name of the ship owner. The parties also agreed on joint and unilateral scientific expeditions on hydrometeorological observations in the Arctic. However, there were no scientific researches or expeditions. All the money received from federal property let on lease was subject to be transferred to federal budget. However, it was put on accounts opened in the banks of state institution Murmansk Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and later was illegally spent by the accused. As a result of 12 years of illegal lease of Professor Molchanov ship by the foreign company, state institution Murmansk Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring suffered a considerable damage of more than 80 million rubles.

In addition, illegal actions of the official caused considerable damage to the state consisting of a difference between VAT paid to federal budget at state institution Murmansk Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and the sum of VAT which could have been paid to federal budget if the ship was let on lease at the market lease rate, that is more than 5 million rubles.

Investigators have collected sufficient evidence and according the case with the approved indictment was forwarded to the court to be tried on the merits.