Penza, 8 October 2014. PenzaNews. Valery Bespalov, deputy chairman of the Penza regional government, has prepared an anti-defamation lawsuit against Ruslan Barmakov, general director of Penzkonditermash LLC and Mikroprofil LLC. He told PenzaNews agency about this decision on Wednesday, October 8, but refused to elaborate the question further.

© PenzaNewsBuy the photo

“You’ll know everything when the lawsuit reaches the court,” Valery Bespalov said.

He also added that his lawyers are currently working with the issue.

As PenzaNews agency reported earlier, Ruslan Barmakov, general director of Penzkonditermash LLC and Mikroprofil LLC held one-man pickets in Penza on September 29 and September 30. The first picket took place in front of the business incubator building on Volodarskovo street, and the second was held at the Lenin square by the Penza government hall.

In both cases, the protester was holding a banner reading: “Bespalov, Maslov stop raider attacks on innovative enterprises in PRFIS.”

According to Ruslan Barmakov, the subdivisions of “Penza regional fund of innovation support” are currently undergoing hostile takeover. He believes that the orders for such steps were given by Valery Bespalov, deputy chairman of the Penza regional government, and Vladimir Maslov, head of JSC “Penza regional fund for innovation support.”

On the evening of Tuesday, September 30, Valery Bespalov announced his intent to prepare an anti-defamation lawsuit.

On October 1, Valery Bespalov told PenzaNews agency his opinion on Ruslan Barmakov’s statement and stressed that he had never been a member of the board of directors of the innovation support fund, and never had control of the activities of the subdivisions.

He also pointed out that the very idea of hostile takeover described by Ruslan Barmakov is impossible, because the the innovation support fund already owns 80% in the companies.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Maslov, head of JSC “Penza regional fund for innovation support,” stated that Ruslan Barmakov uses these actions in an attempt to divert the public attention from the fact that he is unable to account for several million rubles allocated from the regional budget.

Later on, the public learned of an appeal from the innovation project directors of Aviar, Vig-Venta, DAN-Master, DP-Komposit, Penzkonditermash, Penokeramobeton and Mikroprofil companies to the Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev to resume the funding from “Penza regional fund for innovation support.” However, the letter failed to reach the governor.