Russian Deputy Defense Minister charged with bribery, loses appeal
2 Min Read
A Russian Court has rejected Timur Ivanov's appeal request to be discharged under house arrest after he was detained under a corruption case.
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Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov sits behind bars in a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP)
The Moscow City Court rejected an appeal made by the legal team of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who is currently held for "large-scale" bribery charges, calling for his release on house arrest rather than pre-trial facility detention.
According to his lawyer, Murad Musayev, investigators speculated that Ivanov would try to escape from captivity, leave the country, and head to the European Union. Musayev denied the risks, noting that his defendant was on several sanction lists, making it difficult for him to be a fugitive in another state.
Der ehemalige stellvertretende Verteidigungsminister Russlands, Timur Ivanov, wurde wegen Annahme eines Bestechungsgeldes in Höhe von 11 Millionen US-Dollar angeklagt.
— Mann im Schatten 🇷🇺 🇵🇸 (@vladi_the_gr8) May 8, 2024
Putin wird nach dem 9. Mai eine Säuberung aller korrupten Beamten in allen Bereichen der Gesellschaft anordnen. pic.twitter.com/Iu3Pnf8KuZ
Musayev further stated that they would be challenging the court's decision at a court of cassation.
Ivanov is accused of receiving bribes of a whopping one billion rubles, the equivalent of $10.8 million. They reportedly came in the form of property services, claiming military construction contractions built him free facilities. His lawyer denied all allegations.
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He was arrested on April 23 after a lengthy meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. His offense currently carries a 15-year jail sentence. Ivanov has been suspended from his duties until further notice.
The court also dismissed an appeal made by Ivanov's close associate, Sergey Borodin, who is also facing the same charges and is additionally accused of being part of a corruption scheme. He was arrested shortly after Ivanov.
Moreover, the co-founder of the construction company that provided the bribes and services, Alexander Fomin, and the former chief of several defense ministry companies, Anton Filatyov, were also arrested under corruption and embezzlement charges.
