The Krupki District Court found a 50-year-old Minsk resident guilty of fraud. He was sentenced to three years in prison, to be served in a high-security penal colony, and fined 300 basic units (13,500 Belarusian rubles).
The defendant was the director of a company that manufactured paving slabs and kerbs. In that capacity, he took part in public procurement procedures. He submitted price offers to a healthcare institution in Krupki District and a housing and utilities company in Mahiliou Region. The man was selected as the winner of the tenders.
He signed contracts to supply paving slabs and kerbs worth 17,000 and 16,000 rubles with the Krupki District institution, and a contract worth more than 45,000 rubles with the housing and utilities company.
He also managed to obtain full advance payments under the first two contracts and an advance payment of 13,200 rubles under the third.
The problem was that the price offers contained terms that were clearly unprofitable. The amounts did not cover the cost of materials needed to manufacture the paving slabs and kerbs.
Investigators concluded that the man had never intended to fulfil his contractual obligations.
“The businessman spent the money he received, totalling around 47,000 rubles, at his own discretion. The defendant pleaded not guilty during the trial,” the prosecutor’s office said.
However, the court agreed with the prosecution’s findings and found the man guilty of fraud. The defendant was taken into custody in the courtroom. The verdict has not yet entered into force and may be appealed or challenged through the appellate procedure.