×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

'Disappearing House' a New Twist in Corruption Case

The criminal investigation into Yevgenia Vasilyeva, the official at the heart of the corruption scandal that ostensibly brought down Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, has hit an odd stumbling block.

Her allegedly lavish 13-room apartment in downtown Moscow isn't where it's supposed to be. The residence, which police searched last month and where media reports have said she is under house arrest, may not have been correctly registered.

"So far they haven't been able to determine the real address and other information about the apartment building," a source told Interfax. "The building is listed under a different address."

Investigators are trying to determine whether Vasilyeva, former head of the Defense Ministry's property department, acquired the apartment and other expensive properties legally.

She says they were, claiming that she worked for a well-known construction company and was a wealthy person before joining the ministry, the source said, Interfax reported Monday.

A search of her apartment carried out last month turned up 3 million rubles ($32,200) in cash, five suitcases full of precious valuables and 10 paintings that belong to the army.

Vasilyeva was placed under house arrest Friday while investigators look into allegations that she and her associates embezzled more than 360 million rubles from the sales of Defense Ministry property at fire-sale prices through Oboronservis, a major contractor.

Serdyukov, a close friend of Vasilyeva's, was dismissed from his post earlier this month by President Vladimir Putin in connection with the scandal after almost six years on the job.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more