The chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykhin, has condemned top officials arrested on corruption charges as “betrayers,” the Rossiskaya Gazeta reported Monday.
Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) raided the offices of the Moscow Investigative Committee on Tuesday, arresting three senior members of staff on suspicion of receiving bribes.
Deputy Head of the Moscow Investigative Committee Denis Nikandrov, head of security Mikhail Maksimenko, and his deputy Alexandra Lamonova, were detained on charges of taking large sums of money in connection with a case against notorious Russian mob boss Shakro Molodoy. Nikandrov's bribe is suspected to be worth up to $1 million.
The head of the Moscow Investigative Committee's branch, Alexander Drymanov, has since resigned.
“I
see what has happened as betrayal of the memory of colleagues who have
died in the line duty,” said Bastrykhin.
“The arrest of senior employees should in no way cast a shadow on the investigative committee’s thousands of honest professionals who work every day to uphold the rule of law,” he said.
“We will not bury our heads in the sand. The cleansing of the committee’s ranks along with all other law enforcement bodies will continue,” Bastrykhin said.
