The Volgograd Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have opened a criminal investigation against Gorodishche Town Duma and his relative. They are suspected of a crime under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Penal Code (fraud committed by a group of people in a conspiracy on a very large scale).

According to investigators, in July 2011, administration of Gorodishche District gave the deputy’s relative a land property located in the center of the village of Gorodizhche on lease to make there a parking lot for heavy haulers. Later the purpose of the property was changed several times. The final form of the allowed use was “the use of an arch warehouse”. The suspect was aware that if any structure had been built on the property, than he would have had advantageous right to buy this property at a fixed price of 15% from the cadaster cost, otherwise it would have depended on the results of the auction. The deputy used his connections and useful acquaintances among officials of the administration and controlling bodies and made documents according to which a hangar had allegedly been built on the property over 2.4 ha in area. Thanks to those fictitious documents the property the market price of which was at least 4.5 million rubles was bought by a person controlled by the deputy for 1.5 million rubles.

The base for opening the case was the result of the check conducted by the Gorodishche District Prosecutor’s Office and records provided by operatives of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Office of the regional Main Office of the Russian Ministry of the Interior and Volgograd Region Office of the Federal Security Service.

At present investigative operations are underway to find out all the circumstances of the crime and other persons involved in it.