The Russian defense establishment has been rattled by a significant bribery case involving Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, a key figure in military construction projects and an ally of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Ivanov was detained on suspicion of receiving a “particularly large bribe”, alongside businessman Alexander Fomin and Ivanov’s associate, Sergei Borodin.
Ivanov, 48, conspired with third parties to receive a bribe in the form of unspecified property services “during contracting and subcontracting work for the needs of the Ministry of Defense.” Independent Russian news outlets reported Wednesday that the bribery charges were intended to hide more serious charges of treason and avoid scandal, citing two unidentified sources close to the Federal Security Service, or FSB. Peskov dismissed the suggestion and described the reports as speculation. “There are a lot of rumors. We need to rely on official information,” he told journalists.
Ivanov’s lawyer, Murad Musayev, told the state news agency Tass on Wednesday that his client is accused of “taking a bribe in the form of free construction and repair work on supposedly his personal properties,” and in turn providing “assistance to companies that were contractors for the Defense Ministry.”
The Moscow court service has confirmed that all three men, Ivanov, Fomin, and Borodin, will remain in custody until at least June 23. This development follows Ivanov’s decoration of Fomin in 2021 with the state award ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’ for building medical centers.
According to the Defense Ministry’s website, Ivanov was appointed in 2016 by a presidential decree. He oversaw property management, housing and medical support for the military, as well as construction projects. Previously, Ivanov had been the subject of scrutiny due to his lavish lifestyle, as revealed in anti-corruption investigations conducted by the team of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Furthermore, Ivanov faced sanctions from the United States and European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Relevant articles:
– Third Man Is Detained in a Major Bribery Case that Involves Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister, Military, 04/25/2024
– Third man is detained in a major bribery case that involves Russia’s deputy defense minister, The Associated Press, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:44:00 GMT
– Timur Ivanov: Russian deputy defense minister dismissed after arrest on corruption charges, CNN, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:29:00 GMT
– Construction boss accused of bribing Russian minister as scandal widens, NBC News, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:46:37 GMT
– Russian media: Russian deputy defense minister detained for bribery stripped of his position, assets, Kyiv Independent, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:15:00 GMT