The court ordered the former minister of Karachay-Cherkessia to pay more than three million rubles.

The Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has ordered former Finance Minister Rustam Elkanov to pay 3.7 million rubles in damages to the regional budget.

As reported by Kavkazsky Knot, in July 2018, Finance Minister Rustam Elkanov and Minister of Labor and Social Development Muradin Kemov resigned from their posts three weeks after searches of the government building. The press service of the head of the government and the government of Karachay-Cherkessia cited their transfer to other positions as the reason for the resignations of both ministers. In 2019, Elkanov was charged with abuse of office, allegedly incurring 2.6 million rubles in damages.

"Under the chairmanship of Igor Krasnov, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia considered the supervisory appeal of the government of Karachay-Cherkessia in the case of recovering 3.7 million rubles in damages caused to the budget by the former regional finance minister, Rustam Elkanov, who was convicted of abuse of office," according to a statement on the website of the Supreme Court of Russia.

The court found that the official helped appoint an acquaintance to the deputy position, knowing full well that the latter would not fulfill his duties. The fictitious employee was paid a salary, and contributions for mandatory pension, health, and social insurance were also transferred. Rustam Elkanov was convicted of abuse of office .

It is noted that the three previous courts dismissed the claim. They argued that the dispute was related to labor relations and that the regional government had missed the one-year deadline established by the Labor Code for filing a lawsuit. The higher court ruled that the damage was not caused within the framework of employment relations, but as a result of a crime—abuse of office—and therefore the general three-year statute of limitations applies. "Caucasian Knot" also reported that in early May, the Cherkessk City Court seized 22 properties and three cars from the former Minister of Property and Land Relations of Karachay-Cherkessia, Dmitry Bugayev. He was also ordered to pay over 64 million rubles. ...