The investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee in Khabarovsk Territory have brought charges against former minister of property relations of Khabarovsk Territory, head of a department in property relations ministry, chairman of Property Fund of Khabarovsk Territory, a real estate agent and a businessman. Depending on the role of each one they are charged with crimes under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Penal Code (swindling), part 3 of article 30, part 4 of article 159 (attempted swindling).
According to investigators, in 2012 the businessman decided to buy a large piece of land in the city of Khabarovsk to build a cottage village. He appealed to state bodies, but they answered that there were no available pieces of land of a suitable area. Then he went to the minister of property relations in Khabarovsk Territory asking of assistance. The minister told him that Khabarovsk Territory had embarked on the program of allocating free pieces of land to the families with a lot of children. The businessman could not formally take part in that program, but they developed a plan how the businessman could get the land almost for a song. Through the real estate agent the businessman found families with a lot of children, who lived in Khabarovsk Territory. The real estate agent told them that they had the right to get land for free, but pointed out that they had to fill in a lot of papers, spend time and money and have connections in state bodies. She made an offer, which many families in strained circumstances willingly accepted. They signed a power of attorney giving the real estate agent the right to make deals with land and got between 5 and 30 thousand rubles in exchange. In summer 2012, the businessman gathered a packet of documents for 28 pieces of land allegedly filled in by the families with a lot of children. Part by part the documents started going into the ministry. The minister in short time started issuing orders to allocate pieces of land. He knew that the final recipients of the land would be not large families, but the businessman. In autumn 2012 the last of 28 pieces of land was registered on the businessman. This way he got hold of almost 30 ha of land in the city. The cadaster value of the land was over 12 million rubles. The market price exceeded this five-six-fold.
During the investigation three suspects (the businessman, the real estate agent and the head of department) pleaded guilty, repented of their crime and are cooperating with the investigation. During the investigation the minister quit and left to Moscow. On 25 September 2013, the officers of the Khabarovsk Territory Office of the interior Ministry, who are taking active part in the investigation, delivered the former minister to Khabarovsk.
The former minister of property relations was put under house arrest.
At present investigating operations are under way to find all the circumstances of the crime. Investigation is ongoing.
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