The criminal case involving the alleged theft of 33 million rubles tied to a contract for supplying telephone sets to the Ministry of Defense is set to proceed. Hearings are scheduled to begin on September 3 in the Tagansky Court of Moscow, marking a pivotal moment in what authorities describe as a coordinated scheme led by former senior managers of the Telta plant. The development was reported by RIA Novosti.
Investigators allege that, during a period spanning 2014 to 2023, the Ministry of Defense entered into a contract with the Perm-based Telta plant for the manufacture and delivery of telephone sets. The case alleges that the plant did not manufacture the tubes itself but instead sourced them from China and passed the goods off as its own, resulting in a profit of 33 million rubles according to the prosecutor’s office. The implication is that deception about the origin and production of critical components formed the core of the alleged fraud.
The four defendants face charges of fraud conducted through deception and breach of trust, alleged to have been carried out by an organized group leveraging their official positions. The prosecution contends these actions were part of a coordinated effort to misappropriate funds tied to a government defense contract, leveraging the defendants’ roles within the supply chain and contracting process to conceal the true origin of the components.
The individuals named in the case include Alexey Vysokov, previously the deputy general director for production and sales at the Telta plant; Elena Grishina, the plant’s chief accountant; Igor Morozov, a plant shareholder; and Alexey Palmov, a leading specialist at the 746th military representative office of the Ministry of Defense. They were detained in July 2023 and are now facing the courtroom proceedings that will determine the outcome of the allegations.
The situation underscores ongoing scrutiny of defense procurement procedures and the handling of components critical to military communications. It also highlights the role of corporate governance, internal controls, and the oversight mechanisms that aim to prevent fraud in large-scale government contracts. As the hearings unfold, observers will be watching how evidentiary materials, including financial records and procurement documentation, are evaluated to establish whether the alleged scheme occurred and who, if anyone, bears responsibility for the alleged losses.