MRSK Tsentra : IDGC of Centre: a new stage in the fight against fraudulent schemes in the electric grid

October 16 in the framework of the criminal case initiated at the request of IDGC of Centre on fraud in the electricity sector, the following citizens were detained: O.Y. Shadrin, S.V. Konchenkov and A.V. Potekhin, who own a number of power grid assets in the Tver region.

The detainees are suspected of committing a crime under part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code - "fraud, that is theft of another's property by fraud or breach of trust committed by an organized group or on a large scale", in the process of tariff regulation of the activity of territorial grid companies (TGCs) in the Tver region. Consequence of the criminal activity of the suspected was the theft of IDGC of Centre's funds for electricity delivery services, resulting in a lack of liquidity for the proper operation of the grid complex in the region and the implementation of commitments under reduced grid connections of customers.

General Director of IDGC of Centre Oleg Isaev has repeatedly said the company's intransigence to abusing in the power grid industry and absolute recovery of all amounts owed to IDGC of Centre from unscrupulous market participants.

The detention of the scams resulted from the interaction of the Russian FSB, the police and the management of IDGC of Centre, during which they managed to investigate a complex set of relations between the participants of the energy market, and to consider the elements of a fraudulent scheme in the actions of individual managers of the TGCs, retailers in the region, as well as officials responsible for setting tariffs in the region. "In fact, it is a case-mechanism prosecution of persons for criminal purposes manipulating their commitments in the field of electricity transmission services to consumers," comments Oleg Isaev the situation. "In the case of a successful investigation we can expect dramatic changes of the debt situation to state power grid companies belonging to JSC "Russian Grids", as well as the increase of payment and contractual discipline on the energy market."

It should be noted that today JSC "Russian Grids" has organized work to initiate amendments to the legislation to toughen the responsibility of territorial grid companies and power suppliers as well as the sale function transfer to the largest distribution grid companies. Amendments are required to provide a single point of responsibility to consumers, as well as barriers for unscrupulous market participants and fraudulent schemes.