MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) - A criminal case over fraud has been launched after large sums of money were stolen during construction works at the Aviastar-SP factory in Ulyanovsk, an informed source told Interfax.
"In 2015, unidentified individuals acting on behalf of RusTeam signed a master contract with Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk for the first stage of the reconstruction and technological renovation of its production base, the full cost of the work was estimated at 492 million rubles, ," the source said.
Aviastar-SP (part of the United Aircraft Corporation, or UAC) makes the heavy transport aircraft Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A for the Russian Defense Ministry. The plant is also embracing the production of the aerial refueling tanker Il-78M-90A. Previously both were manufactured at the Chkalov Aviation Production Association in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
RusTeam received a pre-payment but failed to carry out the work, and part of the money was stolen, the source said.
"Thus, Aviastar-SP was caused damage of a particularly massive size, a criminal fraud inquiry has been launched," the source said.
The UAC confirmed to Interfax that such an inquiry was underway at its own request.