Police seized documents from the administration of Russia's second-largest city and searched the offices of current and former municipal officials in charge of St. Petersburg's public utilities, the Interior Ministry's press service said Friday.
The searches were conducted in connection with an investigation into an embezzlement scheme that saw public funds used to supply substandard heating pipes to the city, police said. In addition, violations were uncovered in the distribution of contracts for the maintenance and repair of municipal engineering systems.
Police also seized documents from the St. Petersburg administration related to the implementation of an investment program in municipal engineering.
"In the interests of the case, detailed information about the course of the investigation is being withheld from the public," police said.
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