A beekeeper from the Shakhovskaya city district almost lost 400 thousand rubles of a grant received back in 2017 due to accusations of inappropriate use of funds. 

However, the advisory assistance of Vladimir Golovnev, the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the Moscow Region, allowed the entrepreneur to defend his case in court.

Five years ago, a beginner farmer within the framework of the state program "Agriculture of the Moscow Region" received a grant for the development of his business: he purchased agricultural machinery, equipment and inventory. He submitted the necessary reports on time and provided, at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Moscow Region, which is the administrator of funds, clarifying documents on the expenditure of the grant.

In November 2020, an on-site inspection was conducted against the entrepreneur, according to the results of which no comments were revealed on the expenditure of money received from the budget by the ministry.

However, in December 2021, a notification came to the farmer demanding the return of part of the grant, which, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, was spent in an inappropriate way. The entrepreneur refused to return these funds, a trial followed.

The businessman turned to Vladimir Golovnev with a request to assist.

Although the court refused to involve the Business Ombudsman as a third party who does not make independent claims regarding the subject of the dispute, it nevertheless took into account the position of the Commissioner and refused the Ministry the stated claims.

"A combination of factors – an outdated resolution posted on the website of the relevant ministry, misleading business about what budget money can be spent on, the absence of any comments on the results of earlier inspections, an approved spending plan - played a key role in this proceeding. The court agreed with our arguments and the arguments of the applicant, and made a fair decision, – commented Vladimir Golovnev. – A wide range of support measures are currently in effect in the Moscow Region, including peasant farms. The current list is posted on the Investment Portal with clearly formulated criteria and conditions for obtaining, which, I hope, will allow recipients of grants and subsidies to avoid similar situations in the future."