Federal audits reveal theft of budget appropriations in Chechnya

The Russian Prosecutor-General Office has opened several criminal cases on the theft of budget money in Chechnya revealed in checks of the Russian Audit Chamber. The Chamber's spokesman told Itar-Tass on Friday that the audits were carried out from January to March this year. "Deputy Prosecutor-General Sergei Fridinsky has informed Audit Chamber chairman Sergei Stepashin in a letter about the institution of the criminal cases; he in particular said that a criminal case has been instituted against a chief of the Grozny administration construction department on the fact of the theft of more than eight million rubles. It will be sent to court in the nearest time," the spokesman said.

Investigators have already sent to court several criminal cases on embezzlement of appropriations form the federal budget for payment of pensions in Chechnya. Six officials of the Russian Pension Find's branch in Grozny have charged with stealing five million rubles. The prosecutor's office of Chechnya is investigating eight other cases of the theft of gratuities for people whose property was affected during floods last year. The investigation department of Chechnya's interior ministry is handling a criminal case on upward distortion at nine construction projects, totaling 75 million rubles.

The Chechen Times [29.08.2003 23:25]