According to the investigation version, the company offered law enforcement agencies about 6,500 “Erika” radio stations assembled from Chinese components instead of Russian ones, which violated the contract terms. The damage caused to the Russian state was estimated at nearly 400 million rubles (almost 4 million euros).
V. Musin did not admit guilt and stated that there is no evidence that he or another person “embezzled even one ruble” from budget funds. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
The case concerns ten contracts concluded with the Central and North Caucasus Districts’ material and technical supply departments of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the indictment, V. Musin, together with the shareholder of “Uralskije zavody,” Vitaly Shurygin, organized a fraud scheme with radio stations from 2015 to 2023. Because of it, they received “illegal profit” of more than 383.2 million rubles and “disposed of it at their discretion.”
Also used by the FSB
In court, V. Musin stated that the use of imported components was provided for in the design documentation and agreed upon with the Ministry of Internal Affairs itself. According to him, the radio stations passed acceptance tests, were officially accepted, and are still used by the police, “Rosgvardiya,” and the FSB.
V. Musin denies misleading the acceptance commission. According to him, the Ministry of Internal Affairs employees questioned knew about the use of imported parts, and none of them stated that they were misled. The defendant believes that the investigation incorrectly applied the requirements for special law enforcement agency equipment, which are applied to military products.
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V. Musin also noted that embezzlement of budget funds was not proven. According to him, all amounts under the contracts were the lawful sum for the offered products and were used for salaries of 128 employees, purchases of equipment and components, operational needs, and production development.
Dumplings or ravioli?
Lawyer Mikhail Zhikharov emphasized that the criminal prosecution against V. Musin is illegal and related to third parties’ attempts to seize shares of “Uralskije zavody.” He also stated that the mere fact that imported components are used does not mean that the company supplied products of improper origin.
“If you make dumplings using Italian salt, that does not mean they stop being dumplings and become ravioli,” the lawyer explained.
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