The Investigative Committee has opened an inquiry into Aeroflot deputy CEO Andrei Kalmykov, accusing him of giving privileges to companies linked to his relatives.
Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the committee, said Tuesday that Kalmykov had given contractual privileges to Sun Rise Tours, a travel agency allegedly affiliated with his relatives. According to the investigators, the agency’s founders included his wife and mother.
Before joining Aeroflot in 2010, Kalmykov, 40, worked as a top executive and board chairman of Sun Rise Tours for more than a decade.
Markin said that by “giving privileges” to his relatives, Kalmykov had damaged to the company, Interfax reported. Investigators said the state, which controls Aeroflot, lost more than 78 million rubles ($2.4 million) in damages because of Kalmykov’s actions.
According to investigators, the carrier signed a deal with Sun Rise Tours, one of the country’s leading tour operators, to sell more than 85,000 seats for the popular Antalya resort in Turkey. One seat was priced at $221.
Kalmykov signed the deal with Sun Rise, despite a higher bid from a rival company, Tez Tour, for almost half the number of seats, RBC.ru reported Tuesday, citing investigators.
On Tuesday, investigators searched Kalmykov’s office at Aeroflot, Kommersant.ru reported.
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