The Military Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s investigative Committee in Western Military District has finished investigating against chief of Military-Topographic Office of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, a Rear-Admiral Sergey Kozlov. He is charged with crimes under paragraph “c” of part 3 of article 286 of the RF Penal Code (exceeding office entailing grave consequences) and part 4 of article 159 (swindling on an especially large scale).

According to investigators, in July 2010, Kozlov was the chief of navigation and oceanography office in the Russian Defense Ministry and gave a knowingly illegal order to his subordinate – the chief of 280^th Central Cartographic Office of the Russian Defense Ministry, Captain first rank Yuri Rozhkov to sign license agreements with OOO Chart-Pilot (LLC) and ZAO Tranzas (CJSC) under which these organizations received rights to use and distribute for commercial purposes sea navigating maps, that were intellectual property of the Russian Federation. As the result, in the period between 2010 and 2011 the state lost 9.5 million rubles.

In addition, having a flat in his ownership in the town of Istra in Moscow Region, in 2006 Kozlov misled the members of central housing commission of the Russian Defense Ministry and Presidential Affairs Office, telling them that he had no flats in his ownership or under social engagement agreement. By reason of that he was recognized in need of housing and in 2008 received from the state for himself and his wife a flat in Moscow with a total living area 72 square meters and worth 18.5 million rubles, later the flat was privatized by his step daughter.

Investigators have gathered enough evidence confirming guilt of Rear-Admiral Kozlov of the crimes he is charged with, therefore the case with the approved indictment has been forwarded to court to be tried on the merits. On the initiative of the investigators, a representative of the Russian Defense Ministry has brought before Kozlov a civil action on reimbursement of over 27 million rubles damage to the state.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                     V.I. Markin