News

The Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continue investigating a criminal case against Aleksandrina Markvo, Andrey Mylnikov and other unidentified individuals on charges of stealing budget funds under state contracts on holding campaigns aimed at enhancing prestige of reading in Moscow parks and creative contests.

It has been revealed that in 2014 Markvo left Russia. A court ruled in absentia to charge her with a crime under parts 3 and 4 of article 159 of the RF Penal Code (frauds on large and very large scale). Markvo has been put on an international wanted list.

Mylnikov was also charged with fraud (parts 3 and 4 of article 159). He was interrogated, but would not plead guilty.

Following a request of investigator a court ruled in absentia to arrest Markvo and put Mylnikov under house arrest.

In the period between 2010 and 2014 ZAO BYURO17 concluded with the Federal Print and Mass Communications Agency 7 state contracts worth in total 13 million rubles and 9 state contracts worth 51 million rubles with Moscow Mass Media and Advertising Department. The object of those contracts among others was services to organize and hold activities aimed at enhancing prestige of reading in city parks of Moscow and a review contest. Ms. Markvo was owner of BYURO17 and in fact managed the company, while its nominal director was her driver Andrey Mylnikov.

According to investigators, when organizing one of such events in 2012 Markvo used free of charge some infrastructure created on the money of taxpayers and located in the park. However, the formal documents stated that the premises were taken on lease for over 2 million rubles. Based on this false information, Moscow city office paid the sum for the services of BYURO17. As Markvo did not bear any real expenses connected with the renting of the premises, investigators believe that the money was stolen and spent on Marko’s personal needs. Markvo used the same scheme in 2013 to steal money allocated from the federal budget under a state contract on organization and holding the review contest “News from Classics”. Markvo, Mylnikov and other unidentified individuals put false information in the report filed with the Agency as the basis for payment. The report stated that they had allegedly bought prizes for the winners of the contest and had rented premises for an awarding ceremony, none of which was true. For all of that Markvo allegedly paid 500 thousand rubles. But the investigators have found that that Markvo did not organize the awarding ceremony or rent the premises. Instead of awarding the prizes to 4 winners on the ceremony, they were mailed or offered to be taken by the winners themselves. This way the suspect saved some money not only from the ceremony. Instead of proper prizes (a laptop computer for the first place, a tablet computer for the second, a smartphone for the third and a bookreader for the fourth) Markvo awarded the winners with identical cheap bookreaders and made her personal budget, which is not so small, even bigger. The events organized by Markvo were participated by writers and representatives of artistic intellectuals, but all of them by some strange coincidence are members of the so-called Opposition Coordination Council and League of Voters.

At present investigating operations are underway to find out all the circumstances of the crimes.