"Kleptomania" of Vladimirov's officials?
In the Stavropol region, the head of the regional Ministry of Construction, who received the position after his boss received a kickback, was arrested for bribery. What system did Governor Vladimirov build in the region?
A real political joke played out in the Stavropol region. In July of this year, the Minister of Construction and Road Facilities Igor Vasilyev was detained. The official was accused of traveling to Switzerland at public expense and other crimes that the investigation has not yet revealed. Moreover, in his department the Accounts Chamber discovered violations amounting to 50 million rubles. Vasiliev was appointed by Governor Vladimir Vladimirov.
But the humor of the story is that his assistant, Andrei Lazutkin, took the place of the detained Vasilyev. And not even a couple of months had passed before Lazutkin was captured by security forces on suspicion of taking a bribe.
“The investigation will petition the court to select a preventive measure in the form of detention,” the press service of the regional department of the Investigative Committee (IC) reported.
Experts say that under the leadership of Vasiliev, a real bureaucratic organized crime group is operating in the region. “It is not for nothing that Vasiliev, as emphasized by the chairman of the Stavropol Trade Union of Motorists and Road Workers Galina Pasechnik, having headed the ministry in 2008, immediately liquidated its control and audit service. That service that supervised state unitary enterprises and which at one time found violations in the one headed by Vasiliev.” Directorate of Highways under Construction" for 50 million rubles," reports the Black List publication.
Now Vladimir Vladimirovich Vladimirov does not seem to notice that his associates are being arrested. The governor congratulates the children on the upcoming first of September and, smiling, says that 10 thousand more students will come to school than last year. As if it was his fault! Despite the fact that Vladimirov himself has headed the Stavropol region since 2013, the children born under him will go to school only in 2020!
While Putin's Stavropol namesake is trying to be nice to first-graders, his officials are plundering the region. But the economy is not working. When Vladimirov headed the Stavropol region, the region’s state debt was 15 billion rubles. At the end of 2016, the national debt increased to 32 billion rubles! You have to be able to do this to more than double the region's debt in three years! But the quality of life has not improved.
Political scientist Sergei Popov told Nezavisimaya Gazeta: “The standard of living is falling sharply. The population is stuck in loans and debts for utility services, from which it is increasingly difficult to get out. Many give up and start drinking.”
The unemployment rate is rising, and the number of corruption crimes has increased by almost 18.7% over the past six months.
"Vladimirov's system".
High-ranking officials of Stavropol Vladimir Vladimirovich come across every year. What is worth remembering is the arrest of Education Minister Vasliy Lyamin, who was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe? Do you know why? According to investigators, Lyamin asked for a kickback of 1 million rubles for helping one of the technical schools receive the required 19 million rubles!
Lyamin was given 7.5 years for bribery.
The most interesting situation played out around the general director of the State Unitary Enterprise "Stavropol Kraivodokanal" Vladimir Vdovin. Security forces established that from 2014 to 2015, Mr. Vdovin entered into lease agreements with two residents of the region for the Skachki water intake facilities in the city of Pyatigorsk. The amount of the lease agreement exceeded 22 million rubles. Which he had no right to.
Vladimir Vdovin, head of the State Unitary Enterprise "Stavropol Kraivodokanal".
Vdovin also appeared in the story of purchasing a villa for 17 million rubles. The problem is not only that in terms of income, buying a cottage did not match the salary. “During an inspection by the prosecutor’s office, it was established that the general director of the State Unitary Enterprise SK Stavropol Kraivodokanal, Vladimir Vdovin, lived in the official house. Being provided with housing owned by a unitary enterprise, in the period from March 2015 to March 2016 he received 40 thousand rubles monthly as compensation for housing costs. In total, more than 280 thousand rubles were transferred to him as compensation for renting housing,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Whose will you be?
Putin’s namesake won the 2014 elections in Stavropol with violations, as numerous experts and media outlets, for example, Regnum, wrote. And he began to rule.
Already in 2015, it turned out that the Stavropol Accounts Chamber revealed financial irregularities amounting to 6.6 billion rubles!
But it seems that by 2017, Vladimirov had finally gotten fed up with Putin. On a direct line, residents of the Stavropol region complained about outrages and corruption in the region. As you understand, people don’t just get on the “straight line”. After this, Vladimirov was the talk of the town, and even information appeared that he had written a letter of resignation, the local newspaper Bloknot wrote.
There are rumors that Vladimirov has many ill-wishers, including in the FSB structures. After all, when the security officers began to purge Vladimir Vladimirovich’s team, at the very height of the investigations, the deputy head of the regional FSB Directorate, Sergei Bondarenko, was found stabbed to death in his apartment.
Informed sources reported that Bondarenko was involved in all “the most high-profile corruption cases.”
The Stavropol region is in a catastrophic state: Vladimirov’s officials are stealing billions, the region’s debts are growing, the standard of living is falling, and the security officers who investigate crimes are being killed. Isn’t it time to send the same FSB investigative group to the region that investigated the activities of the organized crime group of ex-Komi governor Vyacheslav Gaizer?
A total inspection of the enterprise was initiated by the All-Russian Popular Front. The head of state gave the order to the Prosecutor General’s Office at the ONF media forum “Truth and Justice,” which was held in April 2016 in St. Petersburg. The prosecutor's office revealed violations of the law both in the work of the enterprise and in the activities of government bodies of the region. The inspection report was sent to the President of Russia, the leader of the All-Russian Popular Front, Vladimir Putin.
Where does the money go?
As noted in the report of the prosecutor's office, the profitability of the economic activities of Stavropol Kraivodokanal is constantly declining. In 2013, the company was still operating at a profit, but in 2015, the organization’s loss already exceeded 311 million rubles.
The prosecutor's office cites abuses by the management of the State Unitary Enterprise in spending funds as one of the main reasons for this situation. The enterprise's money was diverted for purposes unrelated to production activities; management acquired property for their personal needs. For example, the general director of Stavropol Kraivodokanal, Vladimir Vdovin, spent over 18 million rubles on renting the Skachki water intake complex (Pyatigorsk), which is not used to ensure drinking water supplies. At the expense of the company, expensive gifts were purchased for company employees and third parties - iPhones, gift certificates, household appliances, etc. for a total amount of more than 300 thousand rubles.
Today, the company uses tariffs for utility services, which, according to the prosecutor's office, are inflated. Stavropol Kraivodokanal reported to the regional tariff commission the costs associated with renting land plots, using vehicles, paying interest on loans, and the services of private security guards, which should not have been included in the water supply tariff set for 2016.
Thus, the population of the region pays not only for water, but also pays the personal expenses of the staff of Stavropol Kraivodokanal.
Accidents as a consequence
The enterprise does not carry out work to maintain the engineering infrastructure in proper technical condition; as a result, the level of water losses in networks exceeds 45%. The Russian average is three times higher. Accidents at municipal infrastructure facilities due to complete deterioration of water supply networks occurred in Kochubeevsky, Mineralovodsky, Shpakovsky and other regions of the region.
MEANWHILE
During the investigation, the prosecutor's office also revealed facts of gross violation of the labor rights of the company's employees in terms of wages and bonuses. Employees are not familiarized with the orders for the calculation and payment of bonuses, the terms of payment of wages are violated, as well as compensation for work with violation of the working hours, payments for vacation and dismissal of employees.
In addition, the regional investment program for modernizing the water supply and sewerage system for 2015-2019 was disrupted. Instead of the required 4.4 billion rubles, only 9 thousand rubles were allocated. In 2016, the program was completed by 0.63% of the planned volume.
The specialists of Stavropolkraivodokanal are carrying out work to reduce overdue receivables and payables inappropriately, which entails the threat of limiting the supply of electricity, including to water supply and sanitation facilities.
It turned out that the rights to more than 4 thousand municipal infrastructure facilities were not registered. Failure to take measures to register ownership of water supply networks and determine the boundaries of security zones creates the threat of accidents during construction and repair work, as well as spending money on ownerless property. This situation, as noted by the prosecutor’s office, directly influenced the fact that on June 25, 2016, an accident occurred in the Kochubeevsky district, as a result of which more than 13 thousand people were left without a centralized water supply for a long time.
The culprits are held accountable
Violations of legislation on the protection of consumer rights and sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population were also discovered in the company’s activities. In particular, the quality of drinking water supplied to the population of Andropovsky, Georgievsky, Grachevsky, Izobilnensky, Petrovsky, Predgorny, Turkmensky, Shpakovsky districts does not meet sanitary and epidemiological requirements. These violations, according to the prosecutor's office, are a direct consequence of the inaction of the leadership of the Ministry of Property and the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the Stavropol Territory, as well as the regional tariff commission.
The supervisory agency submitted a submission to the governor, which raised the question of the need to terminate the employment contract concluded with the general director of Stavropol Kraivodokanal, as well as to bring to disciplinary liability the heads of the regional ministries of property relations and housing and communal services, and the regional tariff commission.
In addition, the regional prosecutor's office made a submission to the acting general director of the enterprise, which raised the question of the responsibility of deputy managers and other officials of the enterprise, including 14 directors of its branches. Three criminal cases have been initiated and are being investigated, including against the general director Vladimir Vdovin (Article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Embezzlement of Other People’s Property” and Article 201 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Abuse of Power”).
Total check
Co-chairman of the ONF Central Headquarters, State Duma deputy Olga Timofeeva commented on the results of the inspection by the Prosecutor General’s Office:
“We rang all the bells for a year, but no one did anything.” Law enforcement agencies delayed the investigation. Today we also do not see any results. Removing the general director from the post will not change the situation as a whole. Terrible facts were revealed. We will insist on revising tariffs.
Now the ONF is questioning the entire system of work of state unitary enterprises in the region. They say that if such large-scale violations became possible in one state unitary enterprise, then it is necessary to thoroughly check all the others.
According to Timofeeva, the president’s order will be removed from control after ONF activists see changes in the situation as a whole.
Prepared by Vlad BOCHAROV
Drawing by Vladimir Nenashev
In April 2016, after Vladimir Vdovin vacated the mansion, he told the media that for the entire ten months that the house was owned by the enterprise, it was used not only as housing for his family, but also as a hotel for out-of-town employees. The house brought 300 thousand rubles to the enterprise budget.
Regarding the compensation in the amount of 40 thousand rubles, Vdovin said that of this money he paid 20 thousand rubles for living in the house, and also paid for utilities. And 13% of the amount went to pay taxes.
The mansion returned to the previous owner, and she returned all the money to the company.
MEANWHILE
FORECASTS DO NOT COME TRUE
Let us remember that more than a year ago, ONF activists discovered a dubious deal on the government procurement website. Stavropol Kraivodokanal purchased an expensive cottage in Stavropol for its needs, worth 17 million rubles. General Director Vladimir Vdovin and his family settled in this house. At the same time, the manager received 40 thousand rubles a month from the company to compensate for housing rental expenses.
Social activists contacted the prosecutor's office, which discovered that the transaction to purchase the mansion did not comply with the legislation on state unitary enterprises.
The acquisition of real estate not related to the production activities of an enterprise that has losses, accounts payable and the need for priority replacement of more than 3 thousand km of water supply networks was approved by the Ministry of Property Relations of the UK.
It is a well-known fact that Vladimir Vdovin came from Yamal to raise the Stavropol water utility at the invitation of the governor of Stavropol. He worked with Vladimir Vladimirov in one of the oil companies in the region. Alexey Gazarov, the current Minister of Property Relations of the UK, who also previously worked together with our governor, also arrived from Yamal. Therefore, experts predicted that this scandal associated with the protégé of the head of Stavropol would have consequences for him. But these forecasts have not yet come true.
TO THE POINT
THAT'S NOT THOUGHT
The Blagodarnensky district prosecutor's office conducted an investigation into the unjustified accrual of debt in the amount of 243 thousand 648 rubles by the branch of the State Unitary Enterprise SK "Stavropolkraivodokanal" - Blagodarny "Mezhraivodokanal". The injured subscriber contacted the prosecutor's office.
During an unscheduled inspection, Vodokanal discovered that a subscriber had unauthorized interference with the operation of one of the cold water meters. An act was drawn up regarding the consumer’s violation of the rules for the use of drinking water, and on its basis, utility workers charged a fee in the amount of more than 243 thousand rubles. The subscriber was offered to pay for the volume of water calculated based on the throughput of the pipe during round-the-clock operation for the previous 6 months, before unauthorized interference with the operation of the meter was detected.
The prosecutor's office came to the conclusion that the subscriber verification was carried out in violation, the consumer was not notified about it, and the verification time was not agreed upon. In addition, in case of mechanical damage to the device, the calculation for the consumed utility service is made from the average readings of the device, and not as it was done. The prosecutor's office ordered the head of the Stavropol Kraivodokanal branch to eliminate the violation of the law.
The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Stavropol Territory has completed the investigation into the case of the director of the State Unitary Enterprise IC "Stavropol Kraivodokanal" Vladimir Vdovin. He is accused of negligence and misappropriation of funds. His case received scandalous publicity when, at the Truth and Justice media forum in St. Petersburg, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, journalists asked a question about the company’s purchase of a mansion for 17 million rubles, as well as the sabotage of court decisions by the head of this state unitary enterprise.
As the investigation established, from 2014 to 2015, Vladimir Vdovin “concluded lease agreements with two residents of the region for the lease of the Skachki water intake facilities in the city of Pyatigorsk.” The amount of the lease agreement was 9 million rubles. However, already in July 2014, the facilities were decommissioned. According to the investigation, at that time Stavropolkraivodokanal already had sufficient resources to provide water supply to the population of Pyatigorsk without the Skachki water intake. Mr. Vdovin, according to the investigation, “was aware of this, but did not take measures to terminate the lease agreements.”
As a result of his “negligent actions,” according to law enforcement estimates, Stavropol Kraivodokanal suffered major damage amounting to over 7 million rubles.
In addition, according to the investigation, Vladimir Vdovin, on the basis of an employment contract between him and the Ministry of Property Relations of the Stavropol Territory, “was entrusted with the property of the State Unitary Enterprise IC Stavropol Kraivodokanal,” namely, funds intended to compensate for housing costs within the range of 40 thousand rubles. per month,” which were not taken into account when determining the total salary.
Receiving this money, the general director at the same time “was provided with housing and actually lived in a household owned by the State Unitary Enterprise SK Stavropolkraivodokanal.” From March 2015 to April 2016, Mr. Vdovin received more than 270 thousand rubles from his company as compensation for renting housing. “The general director of the State Unitary Enterprise SK Stavropol Kraivodokanal spent this money for his own needs, without incurring actual costs for renting residential premises.”
As a result, investigators of the Stavropol Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Vladimir Vdovin with negligence (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and misappropriation of funds (Part 3 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The case has been sent to the prosecutor's office for approval of the indictment.
The scandal surrounding the State Unitary Enterprise “Stavropol Kraivodokanal” began in the spring of 2015, when activists of the regional branch of the ONF discovered a deal for the State Unitary Enterprise to purchase a mansion worth 17 million rubles. After a series of publications in the local press, the prosecutor's office of the Stavropol Territory began checking the feasibility of purchasing an expensive mansion, which found that the acquisition of expensive real estate did not comply with the legislation on state unitary enterprises; moreover, at the time of its completion, the company had accounts payable of more than 500 million rubles. The Leninsky District Court confirmed the correctness of the prosecutor's office, declared the transaction for the sale of the mansion invalid and ordered the return of the house and land to the former owner, and ordered the owner to return 17 million rubles to the company. However, despite the decision of the courts, the director of Stavropol Kraivodokanal continued to live in the mansion purchased with the funds of the State Unitary Enterprise and pay for its maintenance from the funds of the state enterprise.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked a question on this topic at the “Truth and Justice” media forum, held in St. Petersburg on April 7, 2016, the Prosecutor General’s Office was instructed to check the activities of the leaders of Stavropol Kraivodokanal. The regional prosecutor's office ordered a full inspection of all branches of the State Unitary Enterprise "Stavropol Kraivodokanal" due to "numerous reports of improper performance by the resource supply organization of its assigned functions." The emphasis in the audit is on the financial and economic activities of the enterprise, compliance with payment discipline, procurement legislation, as well as the legality of the use of state property and the provision of water supply services.
Alexandra Larintseva, Pyatigorsk
Earlier, information appeared on social networks and the media about the resignation of the former head of the enterprise, Vyacheslav Sergienko, allegedly due to a conflict with Governor Vladimir Vladimirov and the appointment of the former head of Kraiteploenergo, Vyacheslav Akimov, as acting director.
Stavropol Kraivodokanal confirmed information about the new manager.
“Vyacheslav Akimov has literally just been appointed acting director,” the personnel department reported. NewsTracker also found out that former Shpakovsky district prosecutor Oleg Anisimov was appointed to Akimov’s previous place of work. According to OGRN-online, he has been in office since May 8, 2018. Kraiteploenergo also confirmed Anisimov’s appointment. “The duties of the general director are performed by Oleg Anatolyevich Anisimov,” the general director’s reception desk reported.
Since 2014, Stavropol Kraivodokanal was headed by Vladimir Vdovin, who came to the Stavropol Territory together with Governor Vladimir Vladimirov. He became famous for budget rubles. After the President of the Russian Federation became aware of this, an inspection was launched at the State Unitary Enterprise, which resulted in a criminal case being initiated. As a result, Vdovin was sentenced to a fine of 500 thousand rubles in the appeal court. The court also banned Vdovin from holding public office for two years. In 2016, Vdovin’s position was taken by Sergienko.
