Several officials in the Leningrad region have been arrested at an unprecedented rate. Almost every month, someone new is apprehended. Rumors suggest a team of security officials is working to clean up the bureaucratic ranks in anticipation of future political changes.
Ace of Arrests
Officials are feeling uneasy in their usual spaces. The situation is tense. “In the offices, the air can be cut”. The threat of punishment is hanging over anyone in a position of power, and there is active speculation that security forces have been given a go-ahead to target individuals suspected of illegal activities with full support from higher authorities.
Sources suggest that the investigation is currently focused on several areas:
This summer, the Investigative Committee of the Leningrad region detained former head of the Fund for the Protection of the Rights of Shareholders of the Leningrad Region Alexandra Gorsheneva and his deputy Denis Chibisov, along with several other leaders of design and contracting companies. They face significant accusations of involvement in embezzlement and commercial bribery, allegedly enriching themselves by 250 million rubles. Their alleged wrongdoings include increasing contract costs for design and survey work.
In 2021, the chief specialist overseeing building construction was detained, as was Roman Kirbabin, and earlier, the Deputy Chairman of the Gosstroynadzor Committee of the Leningrad Region, Dmitry Lobanovsky.
. The accusations against them include bribery and abuse of power, allowing a developer to sell apartments in a building under construction despite being significantly delayed, leading to financial consequences for the state. According to insiders, the recent major arrests are attributed to close ties between the new regional prosecutor, Sergei Zhukovsky
, and the FSB. Allegedly, his anti-corruption efforts are well-supported by committee members. There are many stories about the mafia trying to take control of state lands or build fancy new houses in the Leningrad region. Even the local deputies were involved in seizing lands for themselves. already wrote
with SNT “Osinka”, which caused a storm of anger of the chairman of the UK
Alexandra Bastrykina
. Echo
scandal
is still haunted by the Investigative Committee of the Vsevolozhsk District and the local administration. In this regard, it suffices to recall the arrest this spring of the former head of the village of Lebyazhye Alexandra Magon
employees of the FSB Department for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. According to the FSB investigation, from 2017 to 2022, Magon organized the theft of two plots with a total area of 9.6 hectares in the Lomonosov district. The damage amounted to more 18 million rubles. In 2021, the court found guilty of fraud with 28 plots of land (with a total area of 137 hectares) the head of the cadastral chamber of the Leningrad region Oleg Mikheev
and his deputy Sergei Khramov In total, 9 people were involved in the case, including cadastral engineers. Kickback area. The events of the last two years, around the officials of the 47-region, are connected, according to people in the know, with the defeat of bureaucratic “enclaves”, which are sometimes in close adhesion with crooks and “respected businessmen.” These connections, of course, are not in plain sight, but since the authorities of the Leningrad region are in one way or another in contact with colleagues from St. Petersburg, the earth is full of rumors.
These connections and these rumors gave rise to another enclave – about two years ago, according to insiders, an operational-investigative group appeared, reinforced by FSB officers. The bureaucratic ranks in St. Petersburg are already under the constant attention of law enforcement agencies. And here is the Leningrad region
this is a region with a large mileage, its own “atmospheres” and kings, and corruption deeply buried in the shadows of the forests.
Another area of interest to the competent authorities is housing and communal services and landscaping. — It can be difficult to trace the cabals of municipalities in small settlements and other district towns. But it is precisely there that bribery, nepotism and cover-up flourish in a marvelous color.
An illustrative example of this
in Syasstroy on
78 million rubles. — scandal But even earlier, in 2021, the head of the Kirovsky district of the Leningrad region distinguished himself Alexey Koltsov . He was detained as part of a criminal case on abuse of power (Article 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He covered the director of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal of the Kirovsky District” Andrey Vitkopreviously arrested. As a result of deft movements by Vitko’s hands, the company’s accounts payable were created in the amount of more than 600 million rubles. The head of the district was aware, but began to actively cover his tracks under the carpet. 600 million rubles. The head of the district was aware, but began to actively cover his tracks under the carpet.
According to knowledgeable people, the investigative team described by us, in addition to the already mentioned construction, land theft and corruption in housing and communal services, this season will actively explore the “soil” in the education system, as well as grants and funding for national programs, such as children’s sports, nutrition and computerization of public and educational institutions.
Indeed, in May of this year, a decree was issuedPrime Minister Mikhail Mishustinaon allocation of additional 3 billion rubles Russian regions for the creation of modular gyms and smart sports grounds as part of the new federal project “Business Sprint”. The Intersectoral Program for the Development of School Sports until 2024, adopted in February 2021 by the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education, also gives weight to this financial support. And even earlier, the Ministry of Education presented the passport of the strategy “Digital Transformation of Education”.
It is no coincidence, oh no coincidence, in July of this year, the FSB officers detained the deputy chairman of the education committee of the Leningrad Region for a bribe Artyom Ogarkov. There are no details about this case yet, but the trend is visible.
After all, state billions are striving to transform into elite houses and businesses, and cutting the state budget is about to turn into a national sport in a single Leningrad region.
According to insiders, the corruption disadvantages of the implementation of these national programs will be closely evaluated at the top, in view of the announced big autumn gubernatorial reshuffles. In other words: big arrests — how the results of the work of the same operational-investigative group can greatly affect the final rating of the country’s leadership’s trust in the head of the region. The Leningrad region is being viewed under a magnifying glass today.
Information from Kompromat Group:
The federal project “Business Sprint” is included in the state program “Development of physical culture and sports”. It was developed under one of the 42 strategic initiatives for the socio-economic development of Russia until 2030. The project provides for the creation in the next eight years of the necessary sports infrastructure within walking distance in cities and villages.
