A senior procurement officer in Russia’s Defense Ministry has been charged with abuse of power, Russian law enforcement authorities announced late Thursday.
Investigators accuse Vladimir Verteletsky of taking a bribe in relation to “work that was not carried out” under a government contract in 2022, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes.
The law enforcement body said the sign-off had cost the state “over 70 million rubles” ($773,500) and added that Verteletsky was placed in pre-trial detention.
The senior procurement official’s arrest comes just hours after Russian investigators announced the detention of Lieutenant-General Vadim Shamarin on bribery charges as part of an apparent purge within the Russian military.
Verteletsky is the fourth senior-ranking military officer to have been arrested since the detention of ex-Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on April 23.
The Kremlin on Thursday denied that it had launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign against military officials.
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Remind me later.
