Reimer's defense insists on sending his case back to prosecution service
MOSCOW. Aug 23 (Interfax) - The defense team of former Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Director Alexander Reimer and his accomplices charged with embezzling 2.7 billion rubles during procurement of ankle monitors has asked that the case be sent back to the prosecution service.
"The defense appealed for returning the case to the prosecution service and made a number of other requests during preliminary hearings," Reimer's lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Interfax on Tuesday.
In turn, the prosecution appealed for extending detention of the defendants by six months, he said.
Reimer, his former deputy Nikolai Krivolapov, and FSIN Center for Information and Technical Support and Communications Viktor Opredelenov have been indicted with fraud and abuse of office, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said earlier. Krivolapov is also charged with illegal acquisition and possession of ammunition. Reimer and Opredelenov are in custody, and Krivolapov is under house arrest.
In addition, the Federal Penitentiary Service has filed a civil claim for compensating 2.7 billion rubles in material damages, it said. Materials in the proceeding comprise 133 volumes.
According to investigators, the defendants embezzled over 2.7 billion rubles via fraud in 2010-2012; the money was assigned to the Federal Penitentiary Service from the budget to procure ankle monitors for defendants. In accordance with the scheme devised by the group members, governmental contracts with a total value exceeding 3.3 billion rubles were signed with the Center for Information and Technical Support and Communications they controlled; ankle monitors were sold at far higher prices, although the center had neither production equipment nor buildings or premises to accommodate a full production cycle.
As a result, over 2 billion rubles were amassed on accounts of the center's Samara branch, and 1.2 billion rubles were stolen. Detectives suspect Reimer of receiving over 140 million rubles in cash at his office from an accomplice, Nikolai Martynov. The criminal proceeding against Martynov was separated from the others.
Sixteen cartridges illegally purchased by Krivolapov for his personal weapon were found during the search of his place of residence.
Martynov agreed to a plea bargain and was given three years and 8 months in a general penitentiary and a fine of 500,000 rubles in a special proceeding.