Kazakh embassy loses building in central Moscow as a result of fraud scheme - newspaper
MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax) - Officials from the Main Investigations Department of the Interior Ministry's Main Department for Moscow are investigating a case involving illegal acquisition of part of a building located in Moscow's Chistoprudny Boulevard, which, according to an intergovernmental agreement, was intended for the Kazakh embassy, Izvestiya reported on Wednesday.
"As a result of actions taken by suspected fraudsters, the Kazakh diplomatic mission lost 120 million rubles and an opportunity to locate Nursultan Nazarbayev's residence in central Moscow," Izvestiya reported.
The Investigations Department opened a criminal case on the basis of the article of the Russian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, the paper reported.
In October 2011, the Kazakh ambassador to Russia reported to the Interior Ministry's Main Department on Economic Security and Corruption Prevention that some people had illegally taken over the basement of the building at Chistoprudny Boulevard, 1A.
"This old house, which was built at the beginning of the twentieth century, was to go to the embassy according to the Russian authorities' decision. When it was time to hand the building over to the diplomatic mission, it turned out that its basement is occupied by a cafe called Osetinskiye Pirogi and is owned by third persons," Izvestiya reported.
According to earlier reports, a probe conducted by the Interior Ministry indicates that an employee of the real estate firm Likom Tsentr had purchased no-residential space (75 sq. meters) in Chistoprudny Boulevard from one of the residents of the building on January 25, 2011. According to the law enforcement agencies, the man later filed forged documents with Rostekhinventarizatsiya - Federalnoye BTI and received technical documentation for 642 sq. meters.
After that, the man obtained a certificate confirming his right of ownership of the basement from the Moscow Department of the Federal Service on Sate Registration, Cadastre, and Cartography, the paper reports.
The paper reported, citing tentative information, that the deal inflicted damage on the Moscow property department in an amount of some 120 million rubles.
The decision on the future of this criminal case may be made on June 29, the paper reported.
June 29 is also the date of the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the Moscow property department against the employee of the company, Izvestiya reported. The Moscow property department is seeking the recognition of the deal as void.
However, many source have told Izvestiya the court may take the side of the new owner of the basement and he then may seek the closure of the criminal case.
