A Russian deputy defense minister has been detained on suspicion of bribe-taking, the country’s top investigative body said on Tuesday. A brief statement by the Investigative Committee on Telegram said Timur Ivanov had been taken into custody and an investigation into his case was proceeding.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said a report on Ivanov’s detention had been presented to President Vladimir Putin. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had been informed in advance of his detention, he said.
Forbes magazine listed Ivanov, an expert in cybernetics and the nuclear industry, as one of the wealthiest men in Russia’s security structures. The section of Russia’s criminal code under which Mr Ivanov was detained – Part 6 of article 290 – applies when a suspected bribe exceeds one million roubles (£8,620; $10,700).
Offences are punishable by sizeable fines and up to 15 years in prison. Mr Ivanov was previously deputy prime minister of the Moscow region, where current defence minister Sergei Shoigu briefly served as governor, and is said to remain a close associate of Mr. Shoigu’s.
The detention marks a rare move against a member of Russia’s governing elite, many of whom are believed to have used their positions to amass vast personal fortunes.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had been notified of the detention in advance.
Mr Ivanov has been sanctioned by the US and UK and is the subject of a travel ban and asset freeze imposed by the European Union, which describes him as being “tenth in the overall hierarchy of the Russian military leadership.
Source: SABC
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