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Novgorod Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continue investigating a criminal case over misappropriation of federal funds in the amount of no less than 35 million rubles allocated for road building against a number of officials in the area of road building in Novgorod Region.

At present Novgorod Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have already charged Nikolai Zakaldayev, director of state institution Novgorodavtodor, deputy of Chudovsky district council and Alexey Tutykin, managing director of OOO Magistral (LLC) with crimes under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Criminal Code (swindling committed by an organized group of people and on an especially large scale).

According to investigators, in 2011-2012, in Novgorod Region deputies Anatoly Petrov and Nikolai Zakaldayev, several businessmen – Georgy Vishnyakov, Oleg Orlov, Alexander Belov, Konstantin Bekchev, Alexey Tutykin and other unknown 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 10% from the overall price of the contract, equal to about 35 million rubles had to go to their pockets. To implement their criminal intention Orlov and Belov were appointed director and deputy director of Vehce. In addition, in January-May 2012, members of the criminal group purchased OOO Magistral with which they wanted to steal the money. Top managers and founders of this company were also members of the group.

However, another organization won the electronic open tender in June 2012 and ruined the group’s plans. The organization offered a minimal price of the contract. After that the CEO of the winning company started receiving from the group threats to cause him property damage and spread information discrediting his business reputation. Eventually, the businessman, realizing the reality of the threats from the high-ranking officials, was forced to refuse from the contract. After that the contract was concluded with Veche and thanks to this, in illegal way, under fictitious agreements, 35 million rubles were transferred to settlement accounts of OOO Magistral controlled by the members of the criminal group.

Today the court has ruled to place Zakaldayev and Tutykin into custody as a pretrial restraining measure.

In addition, Arnold Shalmuyev, first deputy governor of Novgorod Region and Georgy Vishnyakov, deputy director of Novgorodavavtodor are suspected of crimes under paragraph “c” of part 2 of article 179 of the RF Criminal Code, part1 of article 286 (refusal to conclude a transaction under a threat to spread information which could cause considerable harm to rights and legal interests of the victim or his family, committed by a person occupying state position in the Russian Federation, exceeding official powers). Necessary investigating operations are planned to be conducted with Shalmuyev as soon as his condition is stabilized.

Administration of the region, structures controlled by the officials and their flats have been searched. It should be noted that the search and investigating operations were carried out not only in Veliky Novgorod, but in Moscow as well. In all, there have been over 40 searches, documents and money have been seized. Investigation is ongoing.