Again, Senior Russian Military Officials Sent To Cells, Allegedly Received Bribes Of IDR 3.4 Billion

UNSPLASH/Vardan Papikyan ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A deputy commander of the Russian Leningrad military district was detained on suspicion of accepting a bribe of 20 million rubles (US $ 224,000 or equivalent to Rp. 3.4 billion exchange rate today).

As reported by Reuters on Monday, September 2, investigators from the Russian investigative committee said Major General Valery Muminjanov was suspected of helping several companies win contracts to provide military clothing in exchange for money.

Several senior defense officials have faced criminal investigations since the reshuffle at the Ministry of Defense began in May when Andrei Belousov replaced Sergei Shoigu as his leader.

Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee investigated the embezzlement case of Pavel Popov, the former deputy defense minister, in a series of recent corruption investigations.

The case against Popov, who has been in office since 2013, is the third investigation into senior defense officials linked to the construction of military amusement parks.

Major General Vladimir Shesterov and Vyacheslav Akhmedov, directors of Patriot Park near Moscow, were detained earlier this month on suspicion of embezzlement.

"Popov, who is responsible for Patriot Park's development, maintenance and operation, enriches itself at the expense of this place," the Investigative Committee said.

Patriot Park, the main tourist attraction, showcased many collections of Russian and Soviet weapons and offered visitors the opportunity to ride tanks and take part in combat simulations.

Investigators say Popov, starting in 2021, has transferred various building materials from Patriot Park to his own home for installation work.

Several properties belonging to Popov and his family members, worth more than 500 million rubles (USD 5.47 million), are being investigated as part of the embezzlement investigation, investigators said.

Popov joins dozens of officials who, since April, have been entangled in the wave of the biggest corruption scandals that have hit the Russian military and defense agencies in recent years.