/Pogled.info/ “Everything has an end” – with these words the experts commented on the arrest of Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov on bribery charges. How will the criminal case affect the work of the department headed by Ivanov, and who else should be worried after the start of the investigation against the Deputy Minister of Defense?
On Wednesday, the Basman District Court of Moscow granted the investigation’s request against Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov. He was sent to pre-trial detention for two months until June 23. Another defendant in the case – his business partner Sergey Borodin – was detained for the same period. Each of them is accused of receiving a bribe in particularly large amounts (Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The maximum penalty under this article is up to 15 years in prison.
According to the investigators, Ivanov and Borodin “entered into a criminal conspiracy with third parties who united with them in advance to commit a crime by an organized group.” The court indicated that the bribe was received in the form of the provision of property services during the awarding and subcontracting for the needs of the Ministry of Defense. During the preliminary investigation, Ivanov will be detained in “Lefortovo.”
The deputy minister pleaded not guilty to accepting a bribe, the law enforcement authorities announced. “Ivanov categorically denies his participation in the crime he was charged with and insists on his innocence,” said a source familiar with the situation. According to the accused and the defense, his actions are of a civil nature.
At the same time, the lawyer of the accused Denis Baluev insists that in the criminal case there is no transfer of a bribe or any financial reward. According to him, the amount charged “has nothing to do with theft during the delivery of field rations”. However, he did not deny that the charges were related to construction contracts of the military department.
Ivanov was detained by FSB officers on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. A few hours earlier, a meeting of the Ministry of Defense was held, which he attended. As “Kommersant” reported, the detainee spent that night in a temporary detention center.
Another TASS report notes that the accused has been under active investigation for a long time. The agency source said the case file was based on both witness testimony and operational results. A representative of the law enforcement authorities clarified that the operational assistance of the criminal case is carried out by the military counterintelligence of the FSB.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin had been informed of Ivanov’s detention. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was also informed in advance.
Timur Ivanov worked in enterprises of the fuel and energy complex from the late 1990s until 2012, then became the deputy head of the government of the Moscow Region, while Sergei Shoigu was the governor. From 2013 to 2016, Ivanov led Oboronstroy, the largest construction holding of the Ministry of Defense. In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, responsible for matters related to the management of property and accommodation of troops, housing and medical insurance of the Russian Armed Forces. The main temple of the armed forces and the nearby museum complex were built under his leadership. During the pandemic, Ivanov oversaw the construction of 16 multipurpose medical centers for the Ministry of Defense. In 2019, he entered the “Forbes” ranking of “The richest siloviki in Russia”. The publication estimated the income of Ivanov’s family at 136.7 million rubles, his own income at 13.6 million.
According to Andrey Lugovoi, first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s security and anti-corruption committee, there is nothing surprising in the arrest of the deputy minister. “Something else is striking: is he really arrested at last? And the second thesis is in the form of the nice saying: “Everything has an end”, specified Lugovoi.
The expert community notes that the case with the deputy minister may have far-reaching consequences within the framework of the SVO. “The fight against corruption in the army can only be evaluated positively, since this process helps to ensure order in the troops. In addition, in the future this will have a positive effect on the situation in the SVO area,” said military expert Maxim Klimov.
He explained that Ivanov led the construction of facilities for the needs of the Ministry of Defense, such as barracks and airports. “And these departments have had questions for a long time. In particular, protective shelters at some air bases have attracted attention. Now the law enforcement authorities have grounds for additional inspection of objects,” the expert believes.
“We should expect that the security forces will carry out investigative actions in the administrations headed by Ivanov. This process will not affect the department’s activities in any way,” predicted Klimov. “Honest people will continue to work, but those involved in dubious schemes should start to worry.” In addition, the command structure of the army presupposes the presence of a deputy in the event of the failure of anyone in a leadership position,” he added.
Ivanov transferred to the Ministry of Defense from the civilian sphere, recalled Doctor of Military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov. “He has quite a complex biography. He had no connection with the military prior to his appointment as Deputy Defense Minister. That is why he is known only as a builder”, the military expert pointed out.
As for the work of the military construction complex, Ivanov’s arrest will not significantly affect this activity. “Buildings will not stop. At the same time, it is not excluded that the investigation will continue to check whether there were accomplices in the bribery case among the employees of the relevant services,” Sivkov specified.
The interlocutor urged to wait for the completion of all investigative actions, but the very fact of the case, according to him, may show that the Russian leadership does not stop working to fight corruption even against the background of a military operation – and this is a positive phenomenon.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Tags: deputy defense minister Russia fell front line fight corruption
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