Far Eastern Federal District Investigations Directorate of the Russia’ Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case against Yuri Nedorezov, Head of Jewish Autonomous Region Office of Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources and Yuri Kalashnikov, Department of Geological Control, Protection of Mineral Resources and Supervision of Water and Land Resources of the same office who are suspected of part 1 of article 285 of the RF Criminal Code (abuse of official powers).

According to investigators in the period between September and November 2011, one of the joint-stock companies illegally extracted more than 6.5 thousand cubic meters of gravel, causing damage to the Khingan river worth more than 70 million rubles. Knowing it, the suspects calculated the damage on the assumption of understated amount of the extracted resources and artificially lowered it to 2.5 million rubles. Later they filed these calculations to the materials of administrative proceedings and passed a resolution on administrative punishment, according to which the joint-stock company was found guilty in administrative offense under part 3 of article 8.13 of the RF Administrative Violations Code (violation of protection rules for water facilities). The company was fined for 25 thousand rubles and it was suggested to compensate the damage.

Investigators believe that committing these wrongdoings the suspects were driven by mercenary motives only.

The crime was revealed during a joint operation of the agents of Far Eastern Federal District Investigative Committee, the Jewish Autonomous Region Federal Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs.

At present investigating operations are underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime. In the near future investigators are going to decide on the pre-trial restriction measure against the suspects. Investigation is to be continued.