The Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) has completed the investigation of a criminal case of embezzlement of about 15 million rubles from Roscosmos. This is reported by «Kommersant». The former head of the Center for Technical Re-Equipment of the Space Flight Control Service (TSTP) is accused of fraud on a particularly large scale Vasily Ikomasov and his deputy Eduard Rodych-Semencha. They were charged with a total of nine episodes of fraud
According to the investigation, the heads of the TSC, acting as a subcontractor, imitated the performance of work for Roscosmos and stole about 15 million rubles from the state corporation.
What is known about the investigation of the criminal case of embezzlement of 15 million rubles from Roscosmos?
A criminal case on especially large fraud (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was initiated against Ikomasov and Rodych-Semenchi on the fact of embezzlement of money from Roscosmos. The case was conducted according to the materials of the FSB from April 2020 by the investigative department of the CAO GSU TFR in Moscow.
According to the publication, for more than a year the case was investigated against unidentified persons. During this period, the investigation examined in detail the multibillion-dollar contracts between Roscosmos and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Center for the Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities (CENKI). As a subcontractor for the performance of some works, TsENKI chose the CTP, which was then headed by Ikomasov and Rodych-Semencha.
Under which contracts were 15 million rubles stolen from Roscosmos?
According to the TFR, for conducting flight tests with the Soyuz-TMA-M spacecraft, in 2015, CENKI allocated 3 billion rubles. In particular, within the framework of this contract, the TSC was to carry out some scientific and technical work. According to investigators, Ikomasov and Rodych-Semencha received 8 million rubles from these funds and “did nothing”.
Also in January 2022, the TFR found out that as part of the complex of works on the rotation of American astronauts on the International Space Station, another 5.4 million rubles were stolen by the defendants in the criminal case. It is known that in 2012 the state corporation allocated 3.8 billion rubles for these purposes. Despite the fact that the general director of the TSC Icomasov provided the certificates of the allegedly performed works to the Central Bank, the investigation is confident that in fact no work was carried out, and 5.4 million rubles were appropriated.
When were Vasily Ikomasov and Eduard Rodych-Semencha arrested?
Ikomasov and Rodych-Semencha have been under arrest since June 2021. At first, both defendants, once in jail, petitioned for the conclusion of pre-trial agreements. However, the prosecutor’s office, apparently, refused to make a deal with the accused, as the defendants put forward a number of conditions and only partially admitted guilt, the newspaper writes. In particular, Ikomasov agreedto assist the investigation only “in order to assist in the disclosure of the acts incriminated to him”. And Rodych-Semencha pleaded guilty only to causing property damage by deception or abuse of trust (Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). It was on this article that the former deputy director General of the TSC during the investigation asked to re-qualify his act.
According to “Kommersant”, the other day the accused began to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case. The lawyers declined to comment.
Sources:
https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5227800
