Support The Moscow Times!

Suspect in Defense Ministry Corruption Case Released

Investigators released one of the suspects in a high-profile case of illegal sales of Defense Ministry property after she agreed to travel restrictions, the Investigative Committee said Monday.

Yekaterina Smetanova, the former head of the Ekspert legal support agency, who media reports have said was authorized to sell Defense Ministry assets, also was provided guards because of a "threat to [her] life and health," investigators said in a statement.

Smetanova was released because she had agreed to cooperate with investigators, had confessed and had revealed the identities of two accomplices, the statement said.

Investigators also took into account her health and the facts that she has two minor-age children and has a permanent place of residence, it said.

Smetanova is suspected of large-scale fraud and commercial bribery, offenses punishable by up to 10 and seven years in prison respectively.

In late October, the Investigative Committee opened five cases on charges of fraud and abuse of office following the discovery of a scam involving the fraudulent sale of real estate and shares belonging to Oboronservis, a company that manages state military suppliers.

The criminal case has expanded to include the suspected illegal sales of 14 buildings at a loss to the state of almost $222 million.

Several suspects, including Maxim Zakutailo, who headed a company linked to Oboronservis, and Konstantin Lapshin, deputy director general of the Slavyanka defense services holding company, remain in pretrial detention.

Another suspect in the case, Yevgenia Vasilyeva, a former head of the Defense Ministry property relations department, is under house arrest.

A few weeks after the announcement of the corruption probe into the Oboronservis fraud, President Vladimir Putin fired Anatoly Serdyukov from his post as defense minister. Serdyukov has been questioned by investigators as a witness in the case.

Related articles:

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