Most Expensive Vacant Lot: Kuzbass Authorities Sue for 700M Rubles

The Ministry of Construction of Kuzbass wants to recover part of an advance allocated to a firm owned by an honorary resident of Guryevsk for building a school. The agency expects to return almost 700 million rubles (approximately $7 million at current rates), since instead of an educational institution, it received a vacant lot, according to court data reviewed by NGS42.RU on Thursday, January 22.

The lawsuit states that the Ministry of Construction of Kuzbass is demanding from LLC «Dorozhnik» an advance for the construction of a school in Belovo amounting to almost 390 million rubles (approximately $3.9 million at current rates), 10.2 million rubles (approximately $102,000 at current rates) in interest for the use of the agency«s funds, a fine of more than 5 million rubles (approximately $50,000 at current rates), and about 293 million rubles (approximately $2.93 million at current rates) in penalties.

At the agency«s request, the court seized the company»s accounts for an amount of 697 million rubles (approximately $6.97 million at current rates). Shortly before the New Year, the plaintiff, that is, the representative of «Dorozhnik,» wanted to challenge the decision but was refused, and the company«s funds remain »frozen.«

The story of the school construction in the city of Belovo caused public outcry when it became known that for three years, reports were made about the work, but in fact, nothing was happening. At the construction site, only a vacant lot was found, into which by that time about 2 billion rubles (approximately $20 million at current rates) had been invested. Under arrest is Usik Dalakyan — the former founder of the firm.

At that time, the company was owned and headed by Gagik Dalakyan, a member of the Public Chamber of Kemerovo Oblast.