Fokin Artur Merabovich

Fokin Artur Merabovich

History

2022

Arrest on charges of large-scale fraud

On April 16, 2022, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo arrested Arthur Fokin, director of the health department of the Ivanovo region, for two months. He is suspected of fraud on an especially large scale.

According to the regional FSB, when making purchases for the supply of medical equipment by a criminal group, to which, according to the investigation, Artur Fokin was involved, budget funds totaling more than 10 million rubles were stolen.

According to the FSB, in December 2020, Ivanovo City Hospital No. 7 signed a contract with Meditech LLC for the supply of an X-ray machine Parus"" worth 5.4 million rubles, but the supplier himself purchased it from another company (LLC Parity"") for 3.075 million rubles. In addition, City Hospital No. 7 purchased equipment from Meditech, which at the time of the conclusion of the contract was absent not only from Meditech itself, but also from its supplier (Parity LLC), and for which Parity LLC has not yet been paid.

Similar purchases were made for the city hospital No. 8, Kineshma and Shui hospitals. According to law enforcement officers, X-ray systems were purchased according to the same scheme and with the same difference in price.

On this fact, a criminal case was initiated under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Fraud committed by an organized group or on an especially large scale"). On April 15, 2022, the official was detained. The sanction of the article provides for punishment of up to 10 years in prison. He Fokin was sent to a pre-trial detention center until June 15, 2022.

Before that, the head of the Department of Health was searched, it was reported that he was taken away for interrogation by the FSB. Journalists associated investigative actions with a criminal case against his deputy Alexei Buyankin, who was arrested in January of this year. On April 16, 2022, this was confirmed by the FSB.^[1]

Charge of embezzlement of 10 million rubles

As it became known at the end of November 2022, the investigation reclassified the charge to the head of the Health Department of the Ivanovo Region, Arthur Fokin. As the official's lawyer Anna Kotkova told TASS, article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of authority) was replaced by part 3 of article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (embezzlement of entrusted property). In addition, Fokin is accused of embezzlement on an especially large scale. At the same time, he does not admit his guilt in both episodes, Kotkova said.

According to the materials of the Ivanovo Regional Court, the second episode concerns Fokin's order to issue gowns to a commercial organization. According to the first episode, Fokin is suspected of involvement in the theft of more than 10 million rubles in the purchase of medical equipment. It is assumed that during purchases for the supply of X-ray devices to medical institutions of the Ivanovo region, a criminal group stole budget funds.

Arthur Fokine

At the end of 2021, the OFAS opened a case of violation of antimonopoly legislation against the Ivanovo City Clinical Hospital No. 7 and Ivanovo Meditech LLC due to the conclusion of an anti-competitive agreement with the Department of Health of the region when buying medical equipment in 2020. Later, a criminal case was opened. According to investigators, on December 14, 2020, a contract was signed between medical organizations for the supply of the Parus X-ray apparatus for 5.4 million rubles, but the supplier himself purchased it from another company - Parity LLC - for 3.075 million rubles.

In addition, City Hospital No. 7 purchased equipment from Meditech, which at the time of the conclusion of the contract was absent not only from Meditech itself, but also from its supplier (Parity LLC), and for which Parity LLC has not yet been paid, - explained in the OFAS. According to the same scheme, X-ray systems were purchased for city hospital No. 8, Kineshma and Shui hospitals.

During the investigation, employees of the Department of Health and several local medical institutions also became defendants in the case.^[2]

2024: Sentence - suspended sentence in the case of fraud in the supply of medical equipment

The court of the Ivanovo region found the former director of the regional health department Arthur Fokin guilty of fraud in the supply of medical equipment, sentencing him to imprisonment for a period of 2 years and 6 months conditionally with a probationary period of 3 years. The trial ended on September 11, 2024, and in addition to Fokin, his former deputy Alexei Buyankin and an entrepreneur who participated in the deliveries also received suspended sentences.

According to Interfax, Artur Fokin and Alexei Buyankin, who held senior positions in the health department of the Ivanovo region, were prosecuted for fraud in the purchase of oxygen concentrators at inflated prices. Initially, they were accused of crimes under Part 4 of Art. 159 (fraud on an especially large scale), part 3 of Art. 160 (embezzlement) and part 5 of Art. 33, part 3 of Art. 160 (aiding in embezzlement) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

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The first court hearing in the case took place on May 18, 2023 in the Leninsky District Court of Ivanovo. During the investigation, it turned out that the attackers entered into an agreement with an individual entrepreneur who supplied medical equipment at inflated prices, which led to significant losses for the regional budget.

According to the investigation, Fokin used his official position to conclude contracts for the supply of equipment, knowing about inflated prices, and benefited from fraudulent schemes. His deputy, Alexei Buyankin, played the role of an accomplice in the implementation of fraudulent actions.

In the trial, the charges under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were reclassified to Part 3 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (large-scale fraud). Arthur Fokin was also found guilty of embezzlement, while Alexey Buyankin - of complicity.

Alexei Buyankin was appointed a term of 3 years and 3 months conditionally with a ban on holding positions in the civil service for two years. An individual entrepreneur, who was the director of Medrus LLC, was also sentenced to 2 years and 6 months probation with a probationary period of 2 years.^[3]

Notes