Large-scale corruption case revealed
Russian transport authorities have revealed a large-scale corruption case involving Acting Captain of the Port of St. Petersburg and nine persons in Murmansk.
According to the investigation directorate for transport a group of people have supplied sailors in Murmansk with false documents since 2006, the directorate’s web site reads. The main figure, Acting Captain of the Port of St. Petersburg Aleksandr Shtanko is supposed to have made two million rubles on this business.
As Captain of the Port, Mr. Shtanko was authorized to issue documents to sailors who had completed training and tests according to Russian law and international conventions. But for a fee of a few thousand rubles, the sailors could get documents without the necessary training or testing.
More than 200 people are believed to have bought sailor’s documents from the group, who had their own offices in Murmansk and openly advertised about their services.
Six members of the group in Murmansk have been arrested.
