The Moscow Mercury CJSC is a subcontractor involved in the project for the development and production of innovative cosmonaut training complexes by the Don branch of the Center for Training Simulators and Personnel Training (CTIP). Means (more than 500 million rubles) for the project were allocated by RSC Energia. However, during the implementation of the project, the money was gone - and the Investigative Committee had to deal with the relevant criminal case. Top-managers of Mercury, by the way, were simultaneously tried (and convicted) for another space deception: theft of 367 million rubles from the Russian Space Systems (a structure included in the Roskosmos Group of Companies).

The head and co-owner of Mercury, Alexander Polyakov, according to the investigation, invented and implemented a scheme for the withdrawal of over 800 million rubles belonging to the RCC and RSC Energia. With the leadership of both enterprises Polyakov is well acquainted: he worked for a long time at the Ministry of Defense, and precisely in the field of interaction with these enterprises. Working "on trust," Polyakov, according to the investigation, and put aside so much money. Making out fictitious contracts, the head of Mercury transferred money to one-day firms, and then cashed. With "help" shared, giving out 11% of each tranche. In the case of the missing 500 million, RSC Energia and TsTiPP appear to have suffered in the case.

In the second case, a verdict was issued recently by the Ostankino District Court of Moscow: Alexander Polyakov and his deputy Alexei Diorditsa were accused of embezzling 367 million rubles from the budget, which the RCC allocated to the Rocket and Space Instrumentation Plant (RCP). The plant again chose Mercury as the contractor, which was supposed to establish the production of the detailed assembly units for the Glonass-M spacecraft. But the production capacity of Mercury was not, but there was a desire to quickly cash out the funds allocated.

Working scheme

Information about the fact that in Moscow a system-wide scheme for cashing large sums was revealed to the law enforcement agencies came in the spring of last year. The main investigative department then opened a criminal case under art. 172 - "illegal banking activities". Investigators who studied the activity of nacelle workers drew attention to the fact that many firms involved in the scheme are somehow connected with the RCP - mainly through contracts and subcontracts for state contracts. After that, the Fourth Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs joined the investigation, whose profile is the detection of crimes at special facilities. It raised another case - the theft of budget funds through fraud. Six months later, in the companies that work under contracts with the "Russian Space Systems", conducted searches with the seizure of documents, investigators visited the offices of the RCC. And in December, searches were carried out at the plant of rocket and space instrument making. And after that, the accusation was brought against the leaders of "Mercury" Alexander Polyakov and Alexei Diordiets, as well as the director of the RCP Vitaly Tolmachev and his deputy Igor Krylov.

The triumph of justice

The article on which the charge is brought forward is now one of the most popular. Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, fraud in a particularly large amount. As previously reported by the TASS, "the leaders of the rocket and space instrument manufacturing plant of JSC" Russian Space Systems "and the leaders of ZAO" Mercury "recognized the guilt of the theft of almost 400 million rubles allocated for a series of Glonass-M spacecraft - wholly, partially. In the triumph of justice, not everyone was sure. For example, informed sources shared with Rosbalt the following information: the head of Mercury Alexander Polyakov
"Almost openly says that he will receive a suspended sentence." The arrest of the property of the top manager was not imposed, and he reportedly refunded only 1.8 million rubles in damages. Given that only out of 367 million PCs to him, according to the investigation, there was 155.5.

"It will be a good" pension ", - the source of the agency sneers. But the apotheosis of cosmic impudence did not happen. Former top managers of the Russian Space Systems Igor Krylov and Vitaly Tolmachev, as well as managers of ZAO Mercury Alexander Polyakov and Alexei Diorditsa, were found guilty of particularly large fraud (Part 4, Article 159 of the Criminal Code). Tolmachev, Diorditsa and Polyakov, who admitted their guilt in part, received four years in prison, Krylov, who pleaded guilty in full, 6 years. Earlier, as an interim measure, Igor Krylov's property of his wife was seized - in the amount of almost 60 million rubles.

Reference

The Center for Simulator Engineering and Personnel Training (TsTiPP) is engaged in the development and production of innovative complexes for the training of astronauts, in particular, for work outside the spaceship - in near-earth orbit and even on the surface of Mars, the Moon and asteroids.