The ex-head of the FSIN communications center was arrested in the case of fraud in the conclusion of state contracts for 300 million rubles

The Chertanovsky court of Moscow arrested the former head of the Federal State Institution “Main Center for Engineering and Technical Support and Communications” of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Sergei Tolstov, informs RBC citing a source familiar with the investigation. Tolstov case card available on the portal of courts.

How stated TASS in the press service of the court, Tolstov is accused of fraud committed by a group of persons on an especially large scale (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code). The ex-security official faces up to 10 years in prison. He will stay in jail until the end of September, the court said.

The interlocutor of RBC said that the case against Tolstov is connected with the supply of elements of an integrated security system. In a statement by the Gulagu.net Committee against Corruption and Torture (it was submitted to the FSB and the Prosecutor General’s Office) it is said that the only supplier of equipment for the FSIN was Steelsoft Trading. Tolstov’s lawyer declined to comment on the publication.

In July last year, “Izvestia” for the first time learned the details a criminal case of abuse of power brought against Tolstov. According to the newspaper, the case concerns the supply of biometric equipment under government contracts in the amount of 300 million rubles. Investigators questioned the quality of the equipment and the transparency of the tender.

The case file alleged that in October 2016, the FSIN communications center announced an auction for the purchase of sets of biometric face recognition systems for checkpoints at protected facilities. The cost of the state contract was estimated at 80 million rubles. According to data from the SPARK database, in 2016-2017, Steelsoft Trading LLC received contracts worth almost 500 million rubles by order of the Federal Penitentiary Service.