The court dropped the criminal prosecution of the former head of the Moscow Advertising Committee

The Presnensky Court of Moscow terminated the criminal prosecution of Vladimir Makarov, former chairman of the Moscow Advertising Committee, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. According to RAPSI, this was reported by the press secretary of the court Olga Sutyapova.

In the summer of 2009, a criminal case was opened against Makarov under part 3 of article 286 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power with causing grave consequences). The sanction of this article provides for up to ten years in prison. Then he was arrested. However, on February 15, 2010, Makarov was released from custody under the guarantee of the speaker of the Moscow City Duma, Vladimir Platonov. Ex-mayor Yuri Luzhkov also spoke in support of Makarov.

According to investigators, Makarov, on behalf of the Committee for Advertising, Information and Design of Moscow, in July 2004, concluded agreements with Moscow City Advertising OJSC and Advertising Company Stolitsa-M CJSC on cooperation in carrying out work on the festive and targeted decoration of the capital. At the same time, the official, having exceeded his official powers, provided these organizations with a 50 percent discount when paying for the right to place outdoor advertising.As a result of Makarov's illegal actions, the budget of the city of Moscow lost more than 252 million rubles in the period from 2004 to 2007, the investigation found out.

Earlier, the official representative of the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, said that, based on the results of the investigation of the criminal case against the capital official, the mayor of Moscow was presented with a proposal to eliminate the causes and conditions that “contributed to the commission of the crime, as well as to strengthen control over the activities of subordinate sectoral and structural authorities, in including when they conclude civil law transactions.