MOSCOW, April 4 - RAPSI. The Main Military Prosecutor's Office seeks to initiate a criminal case after night viewing devices purchased for the Interior Ministry's troops were overpriced by $237,755.

In October 2009, officials of the Artillery Department and the State Orders Department of the Main Commissariat's internal troops organized a tender to purchase equipment.

"No economic reasoning or price monitoring were held and the price of each product was nearly doubled," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

Following the tender held by the Interior Ministry's Main Center for the Provision of Resources, two state contracts were concluded with a commercial organization. Pursuant to the contract, 177 night-vision devices kits worth almost 19 million rubles ($635,335) were to be provided.

"At the same time, the examiners said the contract price was more than 7.3 million rubles ($247,944) too high," the office established.

The examination materials were submitted to the military investigative authorities to decide on initiating the criminal case.