Melnik Evgeny Nikolaevich

Melnik Evgeny Nikolaevich

Co-founder of CROC, creator of Atlantis Communications.

Until 2013, he worked as General Director of the Russian Communications Corporation.

2022: Ex-head of the Russian Telecom Equipment Company Evgeny Melnik arrested on charges of abuse of power in the implementation of the state defense order

The Lefortovo Court of Moscow arrested until October 2, 2022 the ex-head of the bankrupt Russian Communications Corporation (Russian Telecom Equipment Company) Evgeny Melnik. He is suspected of abuse of authority when fulfilling a state defense order (part 1 of article 201.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This was reported by RBC^[1] was^[2].

According to the publication, the details of the case were not reported in court, but his arrest is associated with the activities as general director of the Russian Telecom Equipment Company, which he held from 2010 to 2013.

Russian Telecom Equipment Company was established by the government in 2007 as a joint venture of the state corporation "Russian Technologies" and a group of high-tech IT companies. She was supposed to be engaged in the production in Russia of trusted telecommunications equipment and communication systems for the public sector. According to the Kontur. Focus service, in 2013, at the time of Yevgeny Melnik's departure from the post of general director, the Russian Telecom Equipment Company 's revenue was more than 1.7 billion rubles. In August 2021, the Russian Telecom Equipment Company was declared bankrupt.

In addition, according to Kontur.Fokus, from 2011 to 2015, Evgeny Melnik headed the related Russian Telecom Equipment Company - Software Systems (PS Russian Telecom Equipment Company), and from 2011 to the present he heads the Russian Telecom Equipment Company New Systems (NA Russian Telecom Equipment Company). A bankruptcy procedure has been launched against the Russian Telecom Equipment Company of the National Assembly. Russian Telecom Equipment Company PS is an active enterprise.

According to Kontur.Focus, Evgeny Melnik is the head and co-owner of a number of other companies, for example, he holds the position of general director in the integrator Atlantis Communications and the wholesale company Trading House Atlantis, owns a stake in the manufacturer of computer equipment Cascade 24 and the construction company Engineering and Technical Center Soyuz.

2023: Criminal Fraud Investigation Completed

On August 23, 2023, information appeared that the FSB Investigation Department had completed an investigation into the criminal case against Evgeny Melnik, the former general director of Gollard CJSC and Russian Communications Corporation CJSC (Russian Telecom Equipment Company). He is accused of fraud in the execution of a number of contracts for state defense orders, as well as in the withdrawal of funds.

According to Kommersant, a criminal case against Melnik was initiated under Part 1 of Art. 201.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - abuse of authority when fulfilling a state defense order. For such crimes, punishment is provided in the form of a fine in the amount of 1 to 3 million rubles or in the form of imprisonment for a term of 4 to 8 years with a fine in the amount of 500 thousand to 1 million rubles.

Evgeny Melnik

According to the case file, ZAO Gollard and Russian Telecom Equipment Company did not fulfill their obligations under several contracts for the supply of special equipment to the military and the FSB. What kind of products are we talking about, there is no information. But it is known that Gollard and Russian Telecom Equipment Company (the first is in bankruptcy, and the second has already been declared bankrupt) were engaged in the development and production of encryption tools, information and telecommunication systems, computer and peripheral equipment. In addition, the companies provided cybersecurity services for defense and civilian projects.

On August 9, 2023, Melnik was interrogated by an FSB investigator as a suspect, after which the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow sent him to a pre-trial detention center. The suspect was charged under this article. In addition, Melnik, who has state awards and thanks, including from the President and Government of Russia, as well as the FSB, is accused of evading the duties of repatriating funds in foreign currency on an especially large scale (paragraph "a" of part 2 of article 193 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). We are talking, according to Kommersant, about the transfer of CJSC Russian Telecom Equipment Company in 2018-2019 to the Israeli company Fortgate Communication ltd $799 thousand for a certain product. According to investigators, it was never delivered to the Russian side, and the money did not return.^[3]

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