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Russian Governor Treats Thousands of Special-Needs Kids to Free Holiday Chocolates. Some With Maggots.

Pixabay, edited by The Moscow Times

Nothing’s sweeter than free candy, but parents in Irkutsk nonetheless have a bone to pick with the region’s governor, whose office distributed free chocolates to roughly 100,000 special-needs children this holiday season. According to three separate complaints, some of the candies were full of maggots, the website IrkutskMedia reports.

State officials in Irkutsk are currently investigating how some of the chocolates became contaminated, and health inspectors are trying to determine the source of the rotten candy.

Regional officials have insisted that the responsibility for the chocolate’s safety falls squarely on the suppliers.

In December 2016, the governor’s office distributed the holiday candies to nearly 100,000 orphans, children with disabilities, HIV-positive children, and children from low-income families.

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