Research rubble: verdict in the case of embezzlement in Rostec research institute

In Moscow, the defendants in the case of embezzlement of 150 million rubles allocated to the Central Research Institute "Elektronika" for research in the interests of the radioelectronic and defense industry were convicted. Anton Isaev, an official from the specialized department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was detained as part of the investigation. He testified that the heads of the institute had misled him, but later he himself initiated an inspection of their illegal actions. The man received a suspended sentence, the other defendants received sentences of up to 7 and a half years in prison.

"Realized the illegality of the actions of his supervisor"

On February 18, the Tushino District Court of Moscow passed a sentence in the case of embezzlement of budget funds allocated to the Central Research Institute "Electronics" - the main developer of the strategy for the development of the radioelectronic industry of Russia until 2030 and the operator of support measures for the industry. Among those convicted are the former general director of the institute, Alyona Fomina, and the former deputy head of the radio electronics department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Isaev, as well as contractors of the Central Research Institute.

According to the investigation, the embezzlement was carried out under the guise of concluding state contracts for "consulting services in the field of market research" and "expert examination of investment projects of organizations of the defense industry complex". The contractors of the Central Research Institute "Electronics" were PJSC "Aquaservice" and NPO "KADETEK". The damage amounted to more than 150 million rubles.

The case of fraud on a particularly large scale (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code) was investigated by the 4th department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which deals with crimes at special facilities and in closed territorial entities. The investigation began back in July 2020. At first it involved unidentified persons, and in September 2020 an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Anton Isaev was detained.

The ministry said at the time that they were actively cooperating with the investigation and had themselves revealed the embezzlement of budget funds. Moreover, Isayev's defense insists that he himself was among the employees of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who conducted an inspection for possible embezzlement in the Central Research Institute "Electronics". However, other defendants testified against the official, including Ivan Kurchatov, general director of PJSC Aquaservice. As a result, Isaev chose a strategy of cooperating with the investigation, his lawyer Sergei Gruzdev told Izvestia.

- As an ordinary employee of the Central Research Institute "Electronics" Isaev fell under the influence of the head of the organization - Fomina, committed misconduct. However, at later stages of his career he realized the illegality of the actions of his direct supervisor and was the initiator of the audit, which was the basis for a criminal case, - said the defender.

As a result, Kurchatov received 6 and a half years in prison and was taken into custody in the courtroom. The court handed down an even harsher sentence - 7 and a half years of colony - to Alena Fomina, the director of Elektronika.

Vitaly Florentsev, head of the NGO KADETEK, received 5 and a half years of suspended imprisonment. Isayev received a similar suspended sentence. In addition, the court sentenced all the defendants to fines from 1 to 1.6 million rubles. One of the defendants - the former head of "Aquaservice" Nikolai Laguntsov - died during the investigation.

All the accused are from the same institute

Interestingly, all the defendants in the case met and worked at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. Alyona Fomina, whom the investigation eventually considered the key organizer of the embezzlement, worked as a professor at the Department of Business Project Management. Isaev, before becoming an official, studied at MEPhI and defended a diploma on a topic related to the economic security of the radioelectronic complex.

Before making a career in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Isaev began working under Fomina's supervision at the Central Research Institute "Electronics" in the summer of 2014. As he told Vedomosti in an interview, he expected to acquire "analytical skills" in the government agency, which would be useful in the future in the commercial sector, where they would be "paid much more".

Kurchatov, Florentsev and Laguntsov took courses at the Department of Molecular Physics, according to the schedule on MEPhI's website. According to the university's website, the department trains "specialists in research and modeling of processes in gases, liquids and on the surface of solid bodies, development of knowledge-intensive technologies and new methods of obtaining high-purity substances and film coatings, highly informative analytical methods of measurement".

Scandals at the Central Research Institute continued even after Fomina's detention. In 2023, another criminal case was initiated against the new management of Elektronik for non-payment of wages (Article 145.1 of the Criminal Code). At that time, employees of the Central Research Institute, which was transferred to Rostec structures, complained about wage delays in a letter to the president. The investigation was terminated after the debts were repaid. According to industry portal CNews, up to 90% of employees left the institute at that time. Fomina's lawyer declined to comment to Izvestia.