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A high-ranking official arrested in Volgograd Region on suspicions of taking many-million bribe

The Volgograd Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continued investigating a criminal case against Deputy Chairman of the Volgograd Region Government Pavel Krupnov and his accomplices – CEO of state institution Directorate for Construction and Capital Repair Igor Pimkin and his deputy Aleksey Kramarenko. They are charged with a crime under part 6 of article 290 of the RF Criminal Code (bribe-taking on an especially large scale).

We remind that according to investigators, Krupnov supervised issues of activity of the Volgograd Region Ministry of Public Health, including control over efficiency of implementation of healthcare upgrade program for 2011-2012. One of the priorities of the program was a capital repair in the Volgograd Region oncological clinic. However Krupnov decided to make profit out of health and comfort of the patients in the oncological clinic. Investigators found that Krupnov’s scheme was very simple. He gave instructions to the CEO of state institution Directorate for Construction and Capital Repair Igor Pimkin and his deputy Aleksey Kramarenko to find a construction firm which would agree to give away 10 % as a kickback from a 170 million state contract. Within a short period of time they found such a firm. On Krupnov’s instructions the contract was concluded with the firm in July 2012 and the official almost at once received his “deserved” bribe of 17 million rubles.

It should be noted that in his attempt to make profit the official wasn’t concerned in any way by the consequences of concluding a contract with a firm which was not able to execute it efficiently and on time – which was strictly stipulated as 31 October 2012. The work is still underway in the oncological clinic, which of course has negative effect on the quality of the medical services and conditions in which the patients stay in the clinic.

Under the petition from the investigators Krupnov has been placed into custody. His accomplices Pimkin and Kramarenko have pleaded guilty and are charged with a crime under part 6 of article 290 of the RF Criminal Code (bribe-taking on an especially large scale). At present investigating actions are underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime. Investigation is to be continued.