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A court has recognized the evidence gathered by the Komi investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee sufficient to convict former head of administration of Syktyvkar city district Roman Zenishchev found guilty of receiving a bribe on a massive scale (paragraph “d” of part 4 of article 290 of the RF Penal Code – 2 counts), embezzlement of entrusted property by a person using their official position (part 3 of article 160 – 2 counts) and abuse of official powers (part 1 of article 285). Another defendant in the case is former CEO of OOO Heating Company Igor Osadchy charged with complicity in embezzlement on a grand scale (part 5 of article 33, part 4 of article 160 of the RF Penal Code).

The court and investigators have revealed that in October-December 2007, Zenishchev while serving as the head of Syktyvkar district administration with complicity of his deputy Sergey Luchenkov got a bribe of 10 million rubles from CEO of Heating Company Igor Osadchy for illegal actions while executing in 2007 a municipal contract on preparing design estimates, building and supply of equipment: Module boiler room in the village of Nizhny Chov of the town of Syktyvkar to a facility. As a result of his illegal actions the contractor supplied a boiler room of less capacity than it was provided by the requirements specification and therefore the cheaper one. Despite that fact Zenishchev ordered to sing the acceptance certificate of the finished building of the facility, after that the money under the municipal contract was transferred to the contractor and the municipality suffered a loss of the same sum.

In November-December 2007, Zenishchev took a bribe of 12 million rubles for ensuring future victory of OOO Department of Transportation Construction in a tender on the right to conclude a municipal contract on supply of snow plows for the needs of the town, as well as for general patronage and connivance.

In May 2008, six employees of Syktyvkar administration including Zenishchev visited Spain and a number of other European countries as tourists. The trip was financed by the funds of municipal budget under the contract on professional development “management of organization and personnel” concluded with the Urals interregional office of NGO – Society “Knowledge” of Russia “Urals and Siberian Home of Knowledge”. Zenishchev being the head of administration ordered to pay the bill on 385 thousand rubles to the organization and signed the acceptance certificate, knowing that the officials of the administration had not been trained.

In 2009-2010, Senizhchev committed illegal actions to create favorable conditions for OOO Averazh, the sole founder of which was Golovanova, for participating in disbursement of budget funds allocated for moving people from ramshackle houses and to make more money. As a result of the said abuses OOO Averazh with violations of law became the owner of an unfinished block of flats in Petrozavodskaya street (the market cost of the house was underrated by 10.7 million rubles) and won two auctions on the right to conclude municipal contracts. In addition, aware that the company executed its liability under contracts improperly, that is the houses passed to the municipality did not meet provisions of the contracts (there was no sanitary technical or engineer equipment) Zenishchev still signed acceptance certificates and OOO Averazh received money from the budget.

Zenishchev hid from investigators for 7 months and was wanted across the world (a court ruled in absentia to remand him in custody pending trial). In February 2014, he was held in Moscow by officials of the Komi Office of the Federal Security Service and transported to Syktyvkar for further investigation.

The court has sentenced Zenishchev to 9 years to be served in a maximum-security penal colony and a fine of 1 million rubles. He was also banned from taking some positions for 2.5 years. The 22 million rubles he had got by the crimes were confiscated. Osadchy got 5 years of probation and 800 thousand rubles of fine.