A case has been opened regarding the theft of money for its construction

Another criminal case has been opened in Volgograd related to the theft of budget funds during the construction of the infamous “dancing” bridge across the Volga. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Volgograd Region told Kommersant that a case of fraud had been identified, with the help of which 15 million rubles were stolen back in 2003. from the federal budget. Sergei Stepashin spoke a week ago in Volgograd about the need to “complete” investigations into the theft of budget funds during the construction of a bridge across the Volga.

As the police department explained to Kommersant, a criminal case was initiated under Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud). According to the police, in 2003, the administration of the Volgograd region entered into an agreement with one of the Moscow construction companies in order to attract investment to complete the construction of the bridge. “The company misled administration officials by declaring that it had allegedly attracted investments for the construction of the bridge and presented fictitious contracts in this regard,” the department reported. For these “services” the company received 15 million rubles. from the federal budget that were stolen.

Let us note that on May 23, Sergei Stepashin visited Volgograd to take part in a meeting of the Association of Chambers of Control and Accounts of the Southern Federal District. He, in particular, told reporters that on that day he had a conversation with the heads of law enforcement agencies in the region that “it is necessary to bring the criminal cases on the bridge to an end.”

Facts of unlawful use of budget funds during this construction, which took about ten years (the first stage was commissioned at the end of 2009), have been revealed more than once. In the summer of 2010, the media, citing Sergei Stepashin, reported the discovery of financial irregularities. “We have identified direct financial violations in the amount of 152 million rubles,” Mr. Stepashin said then, emphasizing that an increase in the cost of the project by almost 1.5 billion rubles was also revealed. Sergei Stepashin reported these facts to Dmitry Medvedev.

Even earlier, in 2005, the court heard a criminal case of fraud, in which Evgeniy Aleinikov, who was sentenced to four years probation in the summer of 2005, was a defendant. According to investigators, in 1999, the director of Dorstroyinvest LLC fraudulently stole funds in the amount of more than 60 million rubles, allocated from the federal budget to the state enterprise Volgogradoblstroyinvest for the construction of a bridge across the Volga in Volgograd. According to the regional prosecutor's office, on behalf of Dorstroyinvest LLC, its director entered into a number of agreements with the state-owned enterprise Volgogradoblstroyinvest for the supply of rolled metal. Budget money received under these agreements into the current account in the amount of 60,801,300 rubles. he transferred to Impexbank LLC to the accounts of Moscow fictitious enterprises registered in the names of dummies. Subsequently, the money was cashed and stolen, a representative of the regional prosecutor’s office noted.

Experts believe that violations during the construction of the bridge could have caused its resonant vibrations on May 20, 2010, which reached 1 m. Allegedly, local residents noted slight vibrations of the bridge back in 2006.

As explained by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Volgograd Region, the latest episode was revealed during operational investigative activities by police officers of the department’s tax crimes department. So far no specific individuals have been charged. As previously reported, in those years the customer for the work on the bridge was allegedly the Oblstroyinvest company.

Elena Zavyalova, Volgograd

Arrears were found at the “dancing” bridge