Volgograd: high-ranking official suspected of large-scale fraud

According to the investigation, the head of one of the departments of the Volgograd City Mayoralty has embezzled 750,000 roubles through fraudulent actions. The bureaucrat himself denies his guilt.

According to investigators, in 2010, the official promised, for a cash reward of one million roubles, to help a resident of Volgograd to buy shares of the enterprise owned by the city department of municipal property.

As established by the investigation, in the period from May to June 2010, during numerous meetings, the buyer of shares gave a total of 750,000 roubles to the head of the department. In fact, "the official undertook no actions aimed at fulfilling his promise and was not going to do so," says a statement posted on the website of the regional department of the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

Based on the materials, submitted by the department of economic security and counteracting corruption of the Russian GUMVD (Chief Department of Interior) for the Volgograd Region, investigators have initiated a criminal case against the official under the article of a large-scale fraud. The article envisions up to six years in prison.

The head of the department refuses to recognize his guilt. Now, the issue is considered of his freedom restriction measure, the RIA "Novosti" reports.