The Federal Agency for special construction (Spetsstroy), the elimination of which was announced on Thursday, December 22, defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, was involved in several corruption scandals that led to the dissolution of the organization, experts believe. Effect and the desire to optimize the work of the Agency.
Instead of Spetsstroy is created by eight Federal state unitary enterprises that are part of the armed forces will be engaged in the construction of military facilities. The Agency executed the whole range of construction works in the interests of the defense Ministry and the Executive authorities for ensuring the country’s defense. In addition, Spetsstroy engaged in housing and infrastructure construction for the armed forces.
The expected solution
The abolition associated with functional changes to the Spetsstroy, says associate Professor of public administration and national security, Ranepa Igor Nesterchuk. “The new structure will be engaged in defense projects which are classified, and the construction of other objects connected with the industry use of construction, for example for space industry, will be the responsibility of the relevant agencies,” said Nesterchuk .
As the expert of Association of military political scientists Andrei Koshkin, the decision on liquidation of the Agency is an attempt to bring the system of special construction of corruption impasse.
The reform of Spetsstroy is unlikely to contribute to reducing the corruption component in the system of special construction, said military commentator Alexander Zhilin. “I don’t believe that, because the level of corruption in our country has long been a threat to national security,” — said the expert.
Recently, the Spetsstroy was accompanied by a series of corruption scandals, including those associated with the construction of the Vostochny space centre. So, in March of this year it became known that the head of “Roskosmos” were trying to recover 5.1 bln RUB from “Dalspetsstroy”, which is part of the Federal Agency. At the same Basmanny court arrested the company’s founders “Ruslans System”, acting as a subcontractor in the construction of military facilities on Cape Schmidt in the Arctic.
In the same month on suspicion of accepting bribes in St. Petersburg detained three employees of the Main Directorate for special construction (special construction Directorate) No. 3 at spetsstroe of Russia. Along with them were arrested and one former employee of the company.
At the end of April it became known about the arrest of ex-head of FSUE “Spetsstroytekhnologii” Spetsstroy of Vladimir Samoilova and entrepreneur Renata Samigullina. Both were suspected of commercial bribery. According to the investigation, Samigullin acted as a mediator in commercial bribery and received with subcontractor JSC “TMK” for Samoilova several million rubles. The contractor under the contract was to build of the Vostochny space centre housing, communications, social facilities and do landscaping.
In the fall of the Federal Antimonopoly service said about the failure of the timing of defense contracts more than 150 billion rubles Violations were found during the inspection of FGUP “special building engineering Ltd”, which is under the purview of Spetsstroy. The government of this organization is defined as the only executor of the construction, design and survey works, overhaul and reconstruction of special-purpose facilities of the Ministry of defense.
The last straw
In late October, Sergei Shoigu promised to take unprecedented measures to enterprises, disrupting the defense procurement. According to him, was “a decision on the termination of contracts, refund and renegotiation of contracts with other enterprises.”
As wrote “Kommersant”, citing sources close to the defense Ministry, the decision on liquidation of Spetsstroy Vladimir Putin took after a closed meeting with senior military officials, held on 18 November.
Now the Agency employs 37.6 thousand people, said the press service of Spetsstroy. The exact number of workers employed in the construction of facilities for the Ministry of defence, the organization found it difficult to name, but said that the military construction in one way or another are related all 19 enterprises of Spetsstroy.
It remains unclear whether it is to accompany the elimination of Spetsstroy staff reductions. Sergei Shoigu said that the reform of this structure will reduce the number of administrative staff in half. As explained a source in the defense Ministry, all employees of the abolished organizations will be employed.
