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Chelyabinsk Region's health minister left in custody

He is charged with 28-million-rbl fraud
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

YEKATERINBURG, November 9 (Itar-Tass) — The Chelyabinsk regional court on Friday ruled to leave the region's health minister Vitaly Teslenko and his suspected accomplices in custody. They are charged with 28-million-rbl fraud. Thus, the court dismissed the appeal of their attorneys who asked not to hold them under arrest, court spokesman Yevgeny Zherdy told Itar-Tass.

The court upheld the ruling of the Leninsky district court and dismissed the appeal of the defence, he said.

The Chelyabinsk Region’s health minister Vitaly Teslenko, deputy chief physician of the Kisegach sanatorium and the governor's advisor Ivan Sorokun and chief physician of the Fourth Regional Hospital Mikhail Shukhovtsev are arrested for two months on charges of massive fraud committed by a group.

The three were detained on October 31 when receiving part of the stolen budget money. According to the investigators, they deliberately overstated the cost of medical equipment and created conditions for a firm controlled by them to win an auction The firm and the regional Health Ministry concluded a state contract to supply over 143 million roubles' worth of medical equipment. The funds, in accordance with the contract, were transferred to an account of the firm. During the September-October period, the persons received part of the money from the account.

In the searches conducted in connection with the criminal case, more than 21 million roubles, more than 30,000 dollars, 4,000 euros and 1,200 yuan and also gold and platinum coins and a lot of jewelry were seized from Teslenko.

The minister is removed from office, and his first deputy Olga Dobrokhotova has taken over his duties as ministry head.