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Trial of ex-head of DM medical department to begin in Moscow

The investigation was completed in early January. The criminal case comprises 53 volumes

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, May 3 (Itar-Tass) — The Moscow District Military Court on Thursday will begin the trial of former executives of the Main Military Medical Directorate (GVMU) of the Russian Defence Ministry, accused of receiving a major bribe during the procurement of tomographic scanners.

Closed-door preliminary hearings are expected to be held on Thursday, as provided by the law.

Former chief of the GVMU – head of the Kirov Military Medical Academy Major-General Alexander Belevitin of the medical service and his deputy - head of the 2nd GVMU department Colonel Alexei Nikitin are charged under Article 285, part 3 (abuse of power) Article 290, part 4 of the RF Criminal Code (taking a major bribe by a group of persons). On the first charges the defendants are facing up to 10 years in prison, and on the second - from 7 to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to 1 million roubles.

According to investigators, the defendants “for their assistance in concluding state contracts on the supply to the RF Defence Ministry of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner and a slice CT scanner received from two representatives of a commercial organisations a bribe of 180 thousand euro, which equalled about 7 million roubles at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Russia at the time of receiving the money.”

According to experts, within the framework of the concluded state contracts worth more than 187 million roubles the medical equipment was purchased at overstated prices, which caused damage to the state in excess of 51 million roubles. The RF Defence Ministry has already filed a civil suit against the defendants for this damage sum.

According to an investigation version, in 2009, Belevitin and Nikitin entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Dina International company and ensured its victory in a tender at which the provider of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner worth 120 million roubles was selected. The contract was concluded with the company. In April 2010, a Dina International Director, Indian citizen Saroj Sinha passed to Belevitin a bribe of 4.7 million roubles through an intermediary.

In addition, Belevitin is also charged with illegal keeping of ammunition – police during the search of his premises found 100 illegally stored rounds for hunting and sporting guns.

Belevitin, who headed the Kirov Military Medical Academy, became the head of the Main Military Medical Directorate of the RF Defence Ministry in November 2010. He was detained together with Nikitin at the beginning of June last year, and the military court sanctioned their arrest then. The investigation was completed in early January. The criminal case comprises 53 volumes.

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