North Ossetian entrepreneur becomes suspect in bribery case linked to a state contract at Mamison resort
An entrepreneur from North Ossetia has become a suspect in a bribery case in connection with the conclusion of a state contract related to events at the Mamison ski resort in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.
Russia’s Investigative Committee and Federal Security Service (FSB) reported the arrests of two people in the case. While the authorities have not directly revealed the identities of the two suspects, media channels linked to security forces have suggested they might be North Ossetian entrepreneur Yevgeny Abaev and an associate, Valery Zheltatelev.
According to investigators, the director of the marketing department of JSC Kavkaz.RF received ₽2 million ($25,000) for facilitating the conclusion of a state contract for organising cultural and mass events at the all-season tourist and recreational complex Mamison. The Investigative Committee said that the official had information about the planned works and knew that the contractor was supposed to be selected through an open tender, but instead offered a representative of a commercial organisation assistance in winning the competition in exchange for remuneration.
As reported by the official representative of the Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, the CEO of the contracting organisation agreed to the terms, after which a contract was concluded between JSC Kavkaz.RF and the company as a sole supplier. The alleged bribe amounted to ₽2 million ($25,000), which, according to investigators, qualifies as an especially large sum.
The FSB said that during operational-search activities a meeting was recorded in a café in the Moscow City business centre, where, according to the security service, the CEO of the contracting organisation handed over cash to a representative of the state-owned company. After that, both participants in the meeting were detained.
The FSB did not name those detained. However, according to data from open court databases, on 21 December the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow ordered two months of pre-trial detention for Zheltatelev on charges of receiving a bribe.
The security services-linked Telegram channel Sapa reported that the person suspected of handing out the bribe was Abaev, North Ossetian entrepreneur and the head of LLC Yu-holding.
According to the channel, his company allegedly acted as the sole supplier in procurements by Kavkaz.RF, including the organisation of the ceremonial opening of the Mamison resort in March, with the cost of the work amounting to ₽12 million ($150,000).
The Sapa post also published a video from a café in Moscow City which shows a man resembling Abaev handing a package to a man whom the channel’s authors identify as Zheltatelev.
In addition, it was reported that security officers visited the office of the tour operator U-Mice.Events in Vladikavkaz, which is owned by Abaev.
The Investigative Committee precised that criminal cases have been opened under articles on receiving and giving a bribe. The maximum punishment under these articles provides for up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
JSC Kavkaz.RF is subordinated to the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and oversees projects for the development of tourist infrastructure in the North Caucasus. The state corporation previously stated that it is cooperating with the investigation.
The Mamison resort is being built as part of federal tourism development programmes, and its budget, according to Russian authorities, is estimated at more than ₽10 billion ($130 million).
Elizaveta Chukharova
