Vice-mayor of Kansk is suspected of fraud

The Krasnoyarsk Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the first deputy head of the city of Kansk, Sergei Dzhaman. An audit of the mayor's office's expenditure of budget funds revealed that the official signed an acceptance certificate for an apartment building under construction before all work was completed. As a result, the developer company received the funds without fulfilling all of its obligations to the Housing and Communal Services Reform Assistance Fund, which financed the construction of this housing.

The Krasnoyarsk Investigation Department announced the initiation of a criminal case against Sergei Dzhaman yesterday. The official is charged with Part 1 of Art. 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Exceeding official powers”). So far, according to the Investigative Committee, he is the only person involved in the criminal case. Searches and seizure of documents have already been carried out at the Kansk City Hall. As reported by the Krasnoyarsk Investigation Department, witnesses and suspects are now being interrogated.

The criminal case against 53-year-old Sergei Dzhaman was the result of a prosecutor's audit of the financial and economic activities of the Kansk mayor's office. According to investigators, on December 17, 2014, the first deputy independently signed a permit to put into operation a 5-story residential building with 120 apartments, located in the city of Kansk, in the 6th North-Western microdistrict, the construction of which was not actually completed. “The official’s illegal actions were the basis for the unjustified transfer of the final payment for work in the amount of more than 18 million rubles to one of the developer’s contractors,” the Krasnoyarsk investigative department said.

The developer of this house was Krasnoyarsk LLC Vector-95. As the prosecutor's investigation established, a municipal contract was concluded between the construction company and the construction and housing and communal services department of the Kansk administration in July 2013. According to it, Vector-95 pledged to build two residential apartment buildings as part of the implementation of the program for relocation from dilapidated and dilapidated housing. Financing for the construction of facilities was provided by the Fund for Assistance to Reforming Housing and Communal Services and the budget of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. According to the Krasnoyarsk investigative department, it was they who suffered material damage due to the official’s actions.

The investigation has already interrogated Sergei Dzhaman. “During the conversation, he explained that he signed the permits to enter the house without actually looking at it. It was the end of the year, funds had been allocated, and they needed to be used,” said the press service of the Krasnoyarsk investigative department. The Investigative Committee emphasized that “so far there is no reason to suspect that the official received any reward from the developer for his illegal actions.” According to investigators, the residential building involved in the case has not yet been fully put into operation. According to initial plans, its occupancy was to begin in December 2014.

Sergey Dzhaman has held the post of first deputy head of Kansk since May 2012. Previously, he headed the local Kansk Heat Networks LLC, the main heat supply organization of the city of 92,000 people.

The Kansk mayor's office refused to comment on the situation with the initiation of a criminal case against Sergei Dzhaman; they only confirmed the fact of the searches. The vice mayor's phone did not answer yesterday. At the same time, the Kan administration claimed that he was at work and continued to perform his duties. The Krasnoyarsk investigative department told Kommersant that they do not intend to demand a preventive measure for Sergei Dzhaman, nor do they intend to remove him from office.

Dmitry Malkov, Krasnoyarsk

Housing was introduced in excess of authority