Press Release, 14.01.2021

Photo: Alexei Teksler, Governor of the Chelyabinsk region / photo from the official website of the Governor of the Chelyabinsk region

The Chelyabinsk branch of Yabloko appealed to the regional control and supervisory authorities demanding to check the feasibility of budget spending totaling to 24 million roubles. The money was spent by the Governor’s Office on purchases of a premium car, luxury gifts and banquets. The relevant statements were sent to the Control and Accounts Chamber, the regional Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Main Control Department of the region.

In addition, the regional branch of the Yabloko party asked the regional department of the Anti-Monopoly Service to cancel the tender for the purchase of expensive gifts.

Yaroslav Shcherbakov, Chairman of the Chelyabinsk branch of Yabloko, noted that in addition to the gifts for others, Governor Alexei Teksler decided to make a gift for himself by purchasing a minivan, premium inside and looking like a popular car outside, worth 7 million roubles. At the same time, he got an almost new BMW 7 Series sedan from his predecessor Boris Dubrovsky.

“Each governor has his own preferences and passions in the area of ​​personal comfort: Mikhail Yurevich wanted a helicopter, Alexei Teksler likes minivans. But the personal wishes of the governors should not be implemented at the expense of taxpayers, all the more the governor may well satisfy his need for luxury at the expense of his own high salary, ” the leader of the regional branch of the party adds.

Yaroslav Shcherbakov suggested that the residents of the Chelyabinsk region should come up with a socially useful alternative – where to spend 24 million roubles. Shcherbakov promised to issue an application under a new procedure for initiative budgeting for the most urgent and significant proposal.

It should be noted that at the end of 2020, the Yabloko party Anti-Corruption Policy Centre published an investigation about the luxurious gifts of the Chelyabinsk Governor to officials in 2019-2020. Such items as gilded caviar dishes, elite alcohol and electronics were purchased at the expense of the budget. Based on the results of the investigation, applications were sent to the regional Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Main Control Department to verify the feasibility of such budget spending.