The criminal history of a well-known businessman, the founder of the Alliance Clinic network and a supplier of medical equipment, Sergei Kurkov, received an unexpected continuation. The interlocutors say that on the eve of the election of a measure of restraint, the entrepreneur ended up in a hospital bed – he has heart problems.
On August 25, Sergei Kurkov was detained and interrogated in the case of the supply of expensive medical equipment to healthcare institutions in the region. To him imputed part 5 of article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – “giving a bribe to an official on an especially large scale.” Kurkov could face up to 10 years in prison.
– It was established that in July 2022, the entrepreneur transferred 2 million rubles to an employee of the government of the Ulyanovsk region for assistance in winning the auction for the supply of medical equipment. Based on the results of the operational-search activity transferred by the FSB, the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ulyanovsk Region initiated a criminal case, the FSB reported.
Kommersant.Ru, 08/26/2022, “Stake on supplies”: The official to whom the money was intended reported the bribe to law enforcement agencies. […] The bribe, according to the source, was transferred before July 4 (Alexander Gashkov, who resigned on July 8, was the Minister of Health at that time). […] Sergey Kurkov’s companies often participate as suppliers in tenders for state procurement of medical equipment. One of the latest examples is government contract by 40.3 million rubles. for the supply of a CT scanner for the Ulyanovsk City Clinical Hospital.
“The supply of medical equipment is one of the most corrupt not only in our region, but throughout the country as a whole, this is a well-known fact,” said Alexei Kurinny, deputy chairman of the State Duma health committee, (first secretary of the Ulyanovsk regional committee CPRF). The deputy noted that the Kurkov empire is one of the five or six largest suppliers of medical equipment.
According to Mr. Kurinny, in the Ulyanovsk region, for unknown reasons, all auctions for the supply of medical equipment worth several hundred million rubles were stopped for more than six months, “everyone was waiting for some decisions and approvals, and only now the sale has begun.” Perhaps this situation became the basis for investigative actions.
The deputy chairman of the Duma Committee also said that the Communist Party faction of the regional legislature recently sent appeals to law enforcement agencies with a request to check the supply of breathing apparatus by Sergey Kurkov’s companies at an inflated price. “According to our data, the price was overstated by one and a half times,” the deputy noted.
It was planned that the businessman would spend last night in a temporary detention facility in the Zheleznodorozhny district of the city. After that, the escort will take him to the Leninsky District Court, where a measure of restraint will be chosen for him. However, according to 73online.ru, the plans of the security forces were thwarted by Kurkov’s health, which deteriorated sharply after the investigation.
As 73online.ru found out, yesterday Sergey Kurkov was urgently hospitalized in the Ulyanovsk Regional Clinical Hospital, now cardiac surgeons are closely monitoring his condition. It is known that the businessman has long been suffering from heart problems, several times he was subjected to vascular stenting due to coronary disease. They say that the stress and moral shock that Kurkov experienced during his arrest significantly affected his well-being. Since the businessman was detained for 48 hours, an escort guards him in the hospital, reliable sources from the Ministry of Health say.
It is believed that in this way Sergei Kurkov can apply for a milder measure of restraint and avoid detention during the investigation. At the time of preparation of the publication, the Leninsky District Court had not received a petition from the investigation. However, it is possible that this will happen on Friday evening, so as not to draw public attention to the trial.
Lawyer Yuri Rodionov commented on the possibility of arrest in absentia:
— In accordance with Part 5 of Art. 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the adoption of a judicial decision on the choice of a measure of restraint in the form of detention in the absence of the accused is allowed only if the accused is put on the international and (or) interstate wanted list. The same rules apply when choosing a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. The court may hold an off-site meeting if the person is in a medical facility.
Meanwhile, the interlocutors continue to wonder who the businessman could give a bribe to. A certain official allegedly cooperated with law enforcement agencies, with whom there was a “bug”. According to one version, this may be the head of the department, Olesya Kolotik-Kameneva. It is possible, however, that the relevant Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Kuchits or one of the chief doctors of hospitals with whom Kurkov is in a trusting relationship, for example, Pavel Firsov from the Central Clinical Hospital, came to the aid of the security forces.
73online.ru, 08/25/2022, “Businessman Kurkov does not get in touch. Presumably detained by security forces”: Sergei Kurkov himself did not answer the call of the 73online.ru correspondent, his confidant Sergei Zhivaikin said that he had been on sick leave for three months and was not interested in what was happening. And about. Minister of Health Olesya Kolotik-Kameneva redirected the editorial questions to the security forces, but did not deny the searches and seizure of documents. […] People who know the businessman sympathize with him. They say that Kurkov is a pedant, squeamish, scrupulous about personal things, so he will not survive the detention and being in a pre-trial detention center. — Inset K.ru
The interlocutors of the editorial office also say that on the eve of Sergei Kurkov’s detention in Ulyanovsk, ex-Minister of Health Alexander Gashkov, who now occupies a similar post in Kamchatka, was urgently summoned for questioning.
73online.ru, “Kurkov Sergey Viktorovich”: Born on March 31, 1963 in the village of Karlinskoye, Mainsky District, Ulyanovsk Region. In 1985 he graduated from the Ulyanovsk Polytechnic Institute (Department of Civil Engineering). […] In 1991 he founded MP “Universal”. Currently, Sergey Kurkov is the chairman of the board of directors of the Universalstroy and Alliance Clinic groups of companies (one of whose divisions is a reproductive health clinic).
In 2011, at the third regional business forum “Ulyanovsk region – the territory of small business”, the author and investor of the project to create a reproductive health clinic with the IVF laboratory “Alliance Clinic” Sergey Kurkov won in the nomination “Best Entrepreneur in the Healthcare Industry”.
In 2016 Kurkov announced the sale of its assets – commercial real estate: three shopping centers were put up for sale – the Alliance-Atrium shopping center, the Bogema shopping center, the Alliance shopping center, the Alliance-Central shopping center. Sergei Kurkov planned to use the proceeds for the construction of a cardiological clinic, which should appear in the Right Bank. […]
Sergey Kurkov participated in three mayoral election campaigns, in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Ulyanovsk region from the United Russia party. May 2021 became President of the Kickboxing Federation of the Ulyanovsk Region. — Inset K.ru
