Chechen authorities deny budget spending on expensive gifts to "Stars of World Football"

Following the information about the intention of the administration of the head of Dagestan to buy a batch of silver watches worth about 80,000 US dollars, the data appeared in the press that the high-ranking guests of the May 11 opening ceremony of the sports complex in Grozny were generously presented with watches with diamonds. As stated now in the Chechen administration, the guests did not receive any gifts bought for the budget money.

Let us remind you that the administration of Dagestan posted an order on the website of state procurements for the purchase of a batch of 100 silver wristwatches, with the initial contract price of 2.215 million roubles (about 80,000 US dollars).

The fact that the football players, who visited on May 11 the opening ceremony of the sports complex named after Akhmad Kadyrov in Grozny, received watches with diamonds at the price ranging from 12 to 70 thousand euros and rewards in cash from 200,000 to 1 million euros, was reported by the French edition "sports.fr". However, Alain Bogosyan, assistant head coach of the national team of France, who played on that day in Chechnya, told the edition that the match was humanitarian in nature, and the trip was private and absolutely free of charge.

"I can officially declare that not a single penny was spent from the republic's or federal budgets. The only remuneration that the guests could get was provided by the company "Dagmara Trading", which had signed the contract on organizing the match and inviting the football stars," Alvi Karimov, press secretary of the head of Chechnya, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Earlier, Rasul Khaibullaev, head of the press service of the President of Dagestan, also denied - in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent - any possibility of whatever corruption motive in the order of 100 silver wristwatches bearing the coat of arms of Dagestan and the inscription "From President of the Republic of Dagestan". As indicated on the website of state purchases, the watches to the total sum of 2.215 million roubles were to be Swiss-made, with a chronograph and mechanical auto-winding, and have the body made of sterling silver (rate 925). The press had immediately started asking questions about the aim of the purchase, and who and for what could be decorated with such watches.

"These are the economic-class watches, each worth about 22,000 roubles. They are not intended for internal distribution among the administration or for presentation. Such watches are awarded by the President for outstanding achievements to famous athletes, power agents, veterans and workers of culture. This is a sort of governmental encouragement; this practice is adopted in all the regions of the Russian Federation and in Moscow," said Rasul Khaibullaev.

According to his story, everything is done openly and transparently, through the official website of state purchases. "I see no reason to any fuss. Should we decorate people with cheap Chinese watches? I would even prefer these watches to be made of some more expensive metal. By the way, this is not a new practice; it was done earlier," said Khaibullaev.

However, Kirill Kabanov, head of the National Anticorruption Committee, has a different view of this situation.

"Such watches cannot be given to power agents. There is a notion of 'decoration watch', approved by the status of servicemen and the federal law on awards. The decoration watch should be Russian-made and not of precious metals. It is forbidden to present civil servants with gifts costing more than 3000 roubles. Besides, we have no concept of the 'award of the Republic or of the Federation'," Kirill Kabanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He believes that such orders are "luxury items". "This is an embodiment of our Russian Asian character. It happens for lack of public scrutiny of such expenditures and because of the desire of our governments to throw dust in the eyes. I wish they help with money their veterans, workers of culture and power agents; or buy wheelchairs for invalids. Who needs these show-offs? By the way, this is not only our tradition. There was a gentleman who travelled around the world with his tent and gave golden watches to people. His name is Gaddafi," said Kabanov.