Prosecutor's Office drops charges against Narva official in Ossipenko case

The Prosecutor's Office has dropped the criminal case against Natalia, Šibalova, acting director of the Narva city administration' architecture and urban planning department. Šibalova had been suspected of bribery in connection with the Kohtla-Järve corruption scandal, which broke last October.
Natalia Šibalova was added to the list of suspects in the Kohtla-Järve corruption case, which revolves around businessman Nikolai Ossipenko, in December.
The investigation into Šibalova included an examination of the contractual relationship between the Narva city administration and road maintenance dispatching company N&V, which is owned by Nikolai Ossipenko's family.
Following the investigation, the Prosecutor's Office has now dropped the case against Šibalova.
"I am very pleased that the Prosecutor's Office took a short time to carry out the necessary investigative measures and has decided to drop the charges against me. I can now fully return to my duties and the city administration will continue its work as usual," said Šibalova.
Narva Mayor Katri Raik had restricted Šibalova's responsibilities for the duration of the investigation, though did not to remove her from office.
In the so-called "Ossipenko case," eight officials were initially suspected of a series of charges mostly related to bribery and influence peddling. Four of the suspects were members of the Kohtla-Järve city council, and four were senior members of the city administration. Two further individuals linked to Ossipenko were also suspects in the case.
Six more people were later added to the list of suspects, five of whom were members of the Kohtla-Järve city council, while one was an employee of the city administration.
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Editor: Michael Cole