FSB: Senior officials arrested for alleged budget theft in Russia’s Karachay-Cherkessia

A group of unnamed “high-ranking” officials have been arrested on suspicion of stealing around 60 million rubles ($6.7 million) from the budget of Russia’s Karachay-Cherkess Republic, state media outlet TASS reported on June 11, citing the press service of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

It was the latest in a series of corruption cases in Russia that reached the highest levels of the country’s security and military apparatus.

According to the FSB, the “organized group,” which included government and law enforcement officials, stole money from a state-funded agricultural development program in Karachay-Cherkessia.

The Karachay-Cherkess Republic is located in the Russian North Caucasus region and borders Georgia to the south.

The FSB did not provide further details about the suspects or the case, but said a criminal investigation into fraud had been launched.

In April, the former Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov was arrested on suspicion of bribery, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was reassigned appointed Chairman of the country’s Security Council and replaced Nikolai Patrushev.

Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsovthe head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, was arrested on May 13.

End of May Major General Alexander Popovthe former commander of the 58th Russian Army, was arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Subsequently, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and Head of the Main Directorate of Communications, was arrested on suspicion of accepting large bribes.

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