MOSCOW, November 23 (Itar-Tass) — No major staff turnover is planned in the department of property relations of the Russian Defence Ministry, but some personnel changes will certainly be introduced, the department’s new head Dmitry Kurakin told journalists on Friday.
“I do not believe that all have mired in corruption in the department, but some personnel changes will certainly be made,” he said.
Kurakin said that within three or four months he will decide on his deputies, and after that “the work of the whole department will be put in order.” “However,” he warned, “decisions on some officials of the department can be taken earlier.”
“There is much amount of work ahead. A competent, honest team is necessary for the successful implementation of the plan,” Kurakin said.
On Thursday, he for the first in the news capacity accompanied RF Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during his first working visit in the rank of Minister of Defence to the Eastern Military District.
The Main Military Investigation Department of Russia’s Investigative Committee (SK) opened five criminal cases over the facts of fraud in the sale of real estate, land and shares owned by the Oboronservis company, which is controlled by the RF Defence Ministry. They are investigated under the RF Criminal Code articles of fraud, abuse of office and have been consolidated.
The detectives found that officials from the Russian Defence Ministry picked up as the targets of their criminal intentions the most liquid and prestigious sites, land plots and shares, particularly in Moscow, from the Oboronservis property. Then, as a rule enormous budget funds were invested in this real estate and after that the property was sold at substantially understated prices to commercial companies affiliated with the Oboronservis company, the SK reported earlier. According to preliminary reports, the damage from the sale of only eight real estate entities exceeded three billion roubles.