MOSCOW, July 13 (RAPSI) – A case against a former deputy chief of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Valery Maksimenko, who stands charged with taking bribes and abusive practice during the realization of state contracts, has been forwarded to court with an approved indictment, the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office has reported.

The defendant will stand trial in the Odintsovo Town Court in the Moscow Region.

Investigators believe in 2018 he illegally organized conclusion of state contracts for construction and repair of facilities upon the Federal Target Program “Development of the Penal Enforcement System (2018 - 2026)” between territorial directorates of FSIN and the North Caucasian Federal District’s Construction Management of the Russian Penitentiary Service that resulted in infliction of damage to the state. The deal was estimated at 3.6 billion rubles (about $60 million).

According to the Investigative Committee, the defendant’s actions led to non-implementation of the Federal Target Program for 2018-2019 in the amount of 2.2 billion rubles (over $35 million), failure to put 19 penal facilities into operation and damage worth over 330 million rubles (over $5 million) to the unitary enterprise which was to spend additional construction expenses and pay fines for late performance of public contracts.

Maksimenko pleads not guilty.