Head of MIA's Chief Department for Stavropol Territory suspected of abuse of power

Alexander Oldak, the head of the Chief Department (CD) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for the Stavropol Territory, is suspected of committing a crime in the period when he headed the MIA's CD for the Altai Territory. This was reported on September 28 by Vladimir Markin, Spokesman of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian federation (ICRF).

Let us remind you that Police Lieutenant General Alexander Oldak was appointed the head of the MIA's CD for the Stavropol Territory by the decree of the Russian President in late July this year, after his predecessor Alexander Gorovoy was appointed to the post of the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Prior to his new appointment, General Oldak headed the MIA's CD for the Altai Territory.

"According to investigators, when being the head of the CD for the Altai Territory, from July to November 2008, Alexander Oldak signed with Nikolai Mikhailov, Rector of the MIA's Barnaul Law Institute, a fictitious contract on rendering paid educational services to the CD, aimed at illegal receipt of funds. The amount of 10 million roubles was transferred to the above Institute, where the Rector spent the funds at his own discretion," stated Vladimir Markin.

According to the investigators, the parties had no intention to fulfil the contract.

A criminal case was initiated under Part 3, Article 286, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: "abuse of power with grave consequences". Earlier, the investigatory authorities of the Russian ICRF for the Altai Territory had initiated a criminal case against Nikolai Mikhailov, the ITAR-TASS reports.

On September 28, the press service of the CD for the Stavropol Territory reported that the work of the Stavropol police and its commanders had not changed after Mr Markin's statement that Alexander Oldak was suspected of abuse of power.

"Today, the head of the MIA's CD for the Stavropol Territory performs his duties and works on the due schedule," said the press service.

When asked whether the head of the Stavropol police was going to resign, the spokesman of the local CD said that he was not authorized to make such comments, the agency "Interfax-Yug" reports.