The criminal case against Magomed-Bashir Kalimatov, the former head of the federal postal service of Ingushetia and the older brother of the current head of the republic, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov, has been submitted to the Cherkessk City Court. Other defendants include the former heads of Russian Post in Ingushetia and the Pension Fund—Kambulat Sukiyev and Islam Seinaroyev, respectively—and 25 others.
All defendants are charged with participating in or organizing a criminal organization (Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code) and fraud committed by a group of persons (Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code). The Pension and Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation has filed a civil claim for 371 million rubles as part of the criminal case. Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 12 to 20 years, and for participants, up to 10 years.
According to investigators, Kalimatov and his group created an organized crime ring in Moscow and Ingushetia to embezzle budget funds. Pension Fund employees are alleged to have falsified documents and entered false information into the electronic document management system, illegally miscalculating the pensions of 682 citizens for a total of 519 million rubles.
