Vladimir Okunev has been declared wanted.

A criminal case has been opened against Vladimir Okunev, former deputy governor of the Rostov region and former director of a state-owned enterprise. He is suspected of abuse of office and restricting competition.

As reported by Kavkazsky Uzel, a Moscow court seized the property of former vice-governor of the Rostov region Vladimir Okunev and his former deputy, Svetlana Shapovalova, for state control. Thirty-six properties in Moscow and the Rostov region have been seized, including five apartments in luxury residential complexes, as well as 25 trucks and luxury vehicles worth more than 600 million rubles. In addition, Okunev was ordered to pay over 100 million rubles.

According to investigators, while serving as director, the suspect, through trusted and controlled individuals, effectively controlled another legal entity – a competitor in the road construction, repair, and maintenance market. In this way, he ensured the conclusion of an anticompetitive agreement between organizations that jointly participated in procurement and acted to create conditions for concluding contracts at the highest possible price, Interfax reported today, citing the press service of the regional investigative department.

"Due to the actions of the defendant, the state unitary enterprise was brought to administrative responsibility, which resulted in damages amounting to more than 200 million rubles," the press service said in a statement.

He has been charged in absentia with abuse of office 1 and restriction of competition 2 . The defendant has been placed on the wanted list. Investigators are considering remanding him in absentia as a preventive measure in the form of pretrial detention. His whereabouts, accomplices, and the circumstances of the crime are currently being determined, RIA Novosti reported.