Investigation is ongoing into a criminal case over misappropriation of federal funds allocated for road building, repairs and maintenance in Novgorod Region opened against officials in the field of road building of the Novgorod Region administration. The Novgorod Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have charged a deputy of Duma in Borovichsky municipal district – founder of OOO Magistral (LLC) Anatoly Petrov with a crime under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Criminal Code (swindling committed by an organized group on an especially large scale).

According to investigators, in 2011-2012, in Novgorod Region first deputy head of administration of the region Arnold Shalmuyev, deputies of Duma in Borovichsky and Chudovsky districts Anatoly Petrov and Nikolai Zakaldayev, several businessmen – Georgy Vishnyakov, Oleg Orlov, Alexander Belov, Konstantin Bekchev, Alexey Tutykin and other unidentified individuals set up an organized group to systematically steal the large sums of money allocated to building, repair and maintenance of motorways in Novgorod Region. According to the plan developed by the members of the group, the enterprise controlled by them – state regional unitary enterprise Veche was to win a tender on a state contract on executing a set of works on maintaining motor ways of regional and inter-municipal importance and artificial constructions on them in the second half of 2012 in the territory of the most districts in Novgorod Region. The initial maximum price of the contract was 357 million 475 thousand rubles. According to the plan a part of that sum, no less than 35 million rubles had to go to their pockets.

To implement their criminal intention Orlov and Belov were appointed director and deputy director of Veche. In addition, in January-May 2012, members of the criminal group purchased OOO Magistral through which they wanted to steal the money.

Petrov has been apprehended and placed in custody pending the trial. Bekchev is federally wanted. Investigation is ongoing.