Roscosmos is mired in criminality

22 criminal cases were initiated based on the materials of internal audits at Roscosmos. We are talking about theft, abuse and abuse of office at the enterprises of the state corporation.
22.09.2020
RBC
Origin source
In 2019-2020, the investigating authorities opened 22 criminal cases based on the materials of the Roscosmos internal audit service, the head of the service Artem Melnikov told RBC. This, as he clarified, is about embezzlement of budgetary funds, abuse and abuse of authority at the enterprises of Roscosmos.

In 2019, at the initiative of the head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin, who headed the state corporation a year earlier, the internal audit department, which previously dealt only with accounting problems, was reorganized into an internal audit service. The functions of this structure were expanded, in addition, it began to interact with the Prosecutor General's Office, the FSB and other law enforcement agencies. The head of the service is Artyom Melnikov, who worked in the prosecutor's office before joining Roscosmos. Before joining the corporation, he headed the Department of the Prosecutor General's Office in the North Caucasus Federal District

Theft in the "Strategic Command Posts"

In particular, an investigation is underway against the former head of the Strategic Control Points corporation Vladimir Polyansky, Melnikov said. This structure of "Roskosmos" carries out research, development and technological development to create ground equipment for prelaunch preparation of missiles at launch sites. “The case was initiated on the fact of embezzlement of budgetary funds through the preparation of fictitious acts on the acceptance of work performed within the framework of the state defense order in the amount of more than 2 billion rubles. As a result, Polyansky added and paid himself a bonus of about 20 million rubles, ”Melnikov said.

In 2019, a criminal case was already opened against Polyansky on the fact of abuse of power. The top manager who headed the corporation until 2019 was accused of illegally paying himself a "golden parachute" in the amount of 4.8 million rubles. Polyansky admitted his guilt and compensated for the damage. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow terminated the criminal case and imposed a court fine of 100 thousand rubles.

Nepotism in Geophysics

Another violation was noticed by the audit service at the Krasnoyarsk enterprise Central Design Bureau Geofizika, Melnikov told RBK. The enterprise is a subsidiary of Roscosmos and manufactures radio and television transmitting equipment.

“At Geofizika, all significant posts were held by members of one family. The general director is the father, the deputy general is the son, the head of the archive is the daughter, the head of the planning department is the daughter-in-law, the chief engineer is the son-in-law. Accordingly, they did not receive their salaries like all employees, ”Melnikov said. He refused to give the names of the ex-employees, adding only that they all left the enterprise "of their own free will."

Since July 2019, Andrey Krylyvets has been the general director of Geofizika Central Design Bureau, as indicated on the Roscosmos website. Previously, he headed the military representative office No. 2649 of the Ministry of Defense. The former head of the enterprise, according to information posted on the website of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia, was Alexander Degterev. A few months before the arrival of Krylyvets, Degterev asked to be relieved of his post in connection with his retirement. A year earlier, the mayor of Krasnoyarsk congratulated him on being awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the city and being appointed chairman of the Krasnoyarsk branch of the Union of Mechanical Engineers.

At the same time Denis Aleksandrovich Degterev was the deputy general director of the Geofizika Central Design Bureau for economic issues. Now Igor Manko is the Deputy General Director of Geofizika Central Design Bureau for Economics and Finance.

Abuses on Vympel

In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is conducting a pre-investigation check on the fact of abuses by the management of the Moscow machine-building plant "Vympel" during the implementation of an investment project for the technical re-equipment of the enterprise in the amount of 290 million rubles, Melnikov said. This enterprise specializes in the production of equipment for launching and technical complexes of missiles and fulfilled orders for the programs ISS, Sea Launch, Mir, Briz-M, Rokot and others.

The enterprise is controlled by the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering Corporation (MIT), which is a 100% subsidiary of Roskosmos. MIT, in turn, is the developer of the Topol-M intercontinental missiles and the Bulava strategic sea-based missile system.

RBC sent a request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Claims against RCS contractors and revision of the

During the joint inspection of Rocket Space Systems (RKS) conducted by Roscosmos and the Prosecutor General's Office, violations were found in the implementation of two investment projects, Melnikov said. “In relation to the contractors - Lan Technology and Ekros-Engineering - the Main Investigation Department of the IC has initiated criminal cases on the fact of large-scale fraud. According to the investigation, their actions caused damage to the RCS in the amount of RUB 302.3 million, ”said the head of the Roscosmos internal audit service.

RBC sent inquiries to Lan Technology and Ekros-Engineering.

RKS is engaged in the development of devices for space systems and communication complexes, navigation, telemetry, control and remote sensing of the Earth.

A separate topic is the expenditure of funds during the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome, Melnikov noted. “To strengthen control over cash flows, by the decision of the general director of the state corporation under the leadership of our service, a permanent control and audit group was created,” he said. Melnikov added that Roskosmos is constantly exchanging information with the Office of the Prosecutor General's Office in the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as with the Prosecutor's Office of the Amur Region and the Vostochny Cosmodrome. “In recent years, only tough large-scale inspections have managed to achieve a cardinal change in the situation in the industry,” summed up the head of the Roscosmos internal audit service.

Who built the Eastern

In 2011, the technical and preliminary design of the new Russian cosmodrome began, and the work supervisors were appointed. The construction of the launch complex of the cosmodrome began in 2012. The completion date was repeatedly postponed, and due to violations at the facility, more than a hundred criminal cases were initiated. The general contractor for the construction was the Federal Agency for Special Construction (Spetsstroy), subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. In December 2016, Spetsstroy was abolished by presidential decree.

The contract with the general contractor for the construction works was terminated in early 2017. In the same year, Roscosmos instructed its subordinate FSUE TsENKI to complete the construction of the first stage of the cosmodrome.

In October 2018, Roscosmos signed a RUB 39 billion contract. with PSO "Kazan" for the construction of the second stage of Vostochny. This company was the contractor for the construction of facilities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Kommersant asserted that Kazan as a general contractor was lobbied by the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, who “is very sensitive to the capacity utilization of the largest republican construction company”.

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