Yuri Kuznetsov, the second senior official arrested within the case, is accused of bribery after being discovered holding $1m.
Russian police have arrested a senior Ministry of Defence official on bribery prices.
The Investigative Committee of Russia introduced on Tuesday the arrest of Yuri Kuznetsov, head of personnel. He’s the second senior official from the ministry to be arrested in what seems to be a widening corruption case, which coincides with an obvious tightening of oversight of the navy by the Kremlin amid its struggle on Ukraine.
The HR chief was arrested after $1m in roubles and international forex, in addition to gold cash, watches and luxurious gadgets have been found at his properties, investigators mentioned.
“In response to the investigation, in 2021-2023, as the top of the eighth Directorate of the Common Workers of the Russian Armed Forces, Kuznetsov obtained a bribe from representatives of economic constructions for performing sure actions of their favour,” the committee mentioned.
The fees in opposition to him carry a jail time period of as much as 15 years.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to touch upon Kuznetsov’s arrest, saying the authorities have been wanting into the matter.
Tightened oversight
Kuznetsov’s detention follows the arrest of Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on April 23. No less than 5 folks have since been arrested, in keeping with experiences.
Ivanov denies accusations that he obtained bribes price $11m within the type of property providers from a development firm in return for navy contracts. A Moscow court docket final week rejected an attraction in opposition to his detention.
The opposite males arrested have been Alexander Fomin, co-founder of a development firm that allegedly paid the bribes, and Anton Filatov, former head of a number of corporations subordinate to the Defence Ministry, who’s suspected of large-scale embezzlement.
The Kremlin is shifting to tighten its oversight of the navy amid the continued invasion of Ukraine, Peskov steered.
Two new Kremlin aides have been introduced on Tuesday amid a reshuffle following President Vladimir Putin’s re-election. Alexei Dyumin will oversee the defence business, and Nikolai Patrushev can have a remit for shipbuilding.
Putin has additionally unexpectedly eliminated Sergei Shoigu as defence minister. He’s being changed by Andrei Belousov, an economist and former deputy prime minister with no navy background.
Peskov mentioned the Kremlin didn’t imagine {that a} change of defence minister and ongoing corruption scandals inside the ministry would negatively have an effect on Moscow’s “particular navy operation” because it calls the struggle in Ukraine.
The previous defence minister has a variety of duties in his new function as secretary of the Safety Council which are of nice significance to Russia, the spokesman mentioned.
