2024-08-31 11:11:16
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that ongoing corruption investigations into Russian defense officials include “serious allegations” that will lead to trials, Reuters reported.
A Moscow military court on Thursday ordered the detention of Pavel Popov, a former deputy defense minister, on fraud charges in the latest in a series of corruption investigations into officials linked to former defense minister Sergei Shoigu.
Asked to comment on the investigations, Peskov said: “Really, serious charges have been brought. This is a systematic work of law enforcement authorities,” he told reporters, adding: “We cannot comment on further details. Once the investigation is complete, there will be a trial.”
The corruption scandal is the biggest at the highest levels of Russia’s defense and defense ministry in years, with at least a dozen officials detained since April.
Reuters recalls that in May, soon after the first arrests, President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed longtime Defense Minister Shoigu and replaced him with economist Andrei Belousov, seen as a step toward tighter management of Russia’s sizable defense budget and to eliminate waste and bribery, writes BTA.
All those under investigation worked under Shoigu, who headed the defense ministry from 2012 to May this year. Yesterday, investigators said the case against Popov, who worked at the defense ministry from 2013 to June this year, was related to alleged fraud in the construction of a military theme park outside Moscow.