The former deputy mayor and head of urban planning in the southern Russian city of Chelyabinsk has been killed in the war in Ukraine, local media reported late Monday, citing his friend.
Sergei Reprintsev had been under investigation on allegations that he accepted at least 10 million rubles ($123,000) in bribes for facilitating land-planning documents on a number of city streets in 2017-2019.
Reprintsev was facing up to 15 years in prison, but his lawyer said criminal proceedings were suspended after he signed a contract with the Defense Ministry, and was deployed to the combat zone last spring.
Reprintsev’s death was confirmed by family friend Konstantin Golovin and the funeral home where his memorial service is scheduled to be held this Thursday, according to the news website 74.ru.
They did not specify the circumstances of the ex-official’s death in Ukraine.
Russian legislation allows suspects and defendants who volunteer for military service to have their cases put on hold. Their criminal records can be expunged if they receive state awards or are discharged for age or injury.
Reprinstev resigned as deputy mayor of Chelyabinsk for construction in mid-2019.
He then stepped down as chair of the city’s architecture and construction committee in early 2020.
In 2022, he received a suspended sentence of one and a half years on charges of abuse of authority. The regional court overturned the verdict and sent the case for retrial.
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