Yabloko’s investigation into Moscow Mayor’s Office project at the cost of 3 billion roubes
Press release, 7.09.2018

Yabloko’s Centre for Anti-Corruption Policy made an investigation into the project “Moscow Longevity” by Moscow Mayor’s Office. It has features of political corruption because Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was involved in campaign materials. Furthermore, the project bears corruption risks due to low competition during the tender and lack of budget transparency.

According to Moscow Mayor’s Office, the total cost of the project is 3 billion roubles. The officials do not provide a detailed financial report. This lack if transparency bears corruption risks.

Moscow government made a contract for the “Moscow Longevity” project at the cost of 103.5 million roubles since 2016. In 2018 27 tenders out of 32 were held after the pension reform was announced.

As part of the project, OAO Moscow MEdia (public company of Moscow Mayor’s office) ordered a video clip “Active longevity. Twerk”. The price of the tender of the only supplier was 524 thousand roubles. Self-employed entrepreneur Korolev won this tender. He also made another video clip for Moscow Media called “Lenin. Virus” at the cost of 211.6 thousand roubles. We do not know what the video clips look like because the customer did not publish the results of the contracts.

“We have discovered that the contractors of the project are former Moscow officials, founders of the Moscow branch of All-Russia People’s Front [a movement founded by Vladimir Putin to support United Russia], “Russian song” artistic union. Several companies made a secret deal,” lawyer Alexei Karnaukhov said.

The main contractor of the project is OOO “Tochka Opory”. The company gained 67.7 million roubles. OOO “Radom Social Programme Agency” also participate in the tender. They gained 66.2 million roubles. The companies are connected: Maria Vinogradova founded “Tochka Opory” and “Radom Agency”.

One more contractor is OOO “IKB Parad”. The founder of the company is Maria Slutskaya, former deputy head of Moscow City Duma press service and advisor to Chair of the Moscow Chamber of Control and Accounts. Slutskaya actively promotes active lifestyle for people over 50, but never forgets about her business. She is the founder of the “Pyatdesyat Plus” [50+] organisation and the newspaper which has the same name.

Moscow authorities market “Moscow Longevity” as mayor’s personal project. At the same time, governmental websites actively promote mayoral elections that will take place on 9 September. “This way Sobyanin is using the administrative resource to promote his candidacy among the older generation,” Karnaukhov explained.

The full text of the investigation