Rostelecom sues Digital Development Ministry for 530 mln rbl

MOSCOW, Mar 24 (PRIME) -- Russian state-controlled telecom operator Rostelecom has filed a 530 million ruble suit against the Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media Ministry to the Moscow Arbitration Court, as seen by PRIME on Tuesday in the register of arbitration cases.

The court is yet to start the proceedings, and the suit’s matter was not disclosed. But the list of third parties comprises the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service, and the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport, meaning the suit is very likely connected to payments for system Mir.

The government appointed Rostelecom as the only firm in charge of support and development of system Mir, aimed at improving protection of ID documents, border control effectiveness, and fight against illegal migration.

Rostelecom signed a contract and provided all the services in 2016. The state contract was not signed in 2017, but the company continued performing its functions and then filed two lawsuits against the Digital Development Ministry seeking redemption of the ministry’s unjust enrichment that it accumulated as the operator provided services without a contract.

The courts of all four instances, including the Supreme Court, supported the company in its first suit in 2019 and obliged the ministry to redeem 464 million rubles for the services provided in January–June 2017. The Moscow Arbitration Court also sided with the company in the second suit in February 2020, ordering the ministry to redeem 314 million rubles for the services provided in July–September 2017 and in 2018.

(80.8815 rubles – U.S. $1)

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