Police authorities in the western Bryansk regionchargedVice Governor Nikolai Simonenko with abuse of power following searches of his home and workplace as part of a corruption probe into the building of border fortifications, state media reported.Simonenko and Yevgeny Zhura, head of the regions real estate remodelling fund, are accused of embezzling public funds allocated for defense facilities, a cops source told the TASS news agency.
As deputy governor managing administrative and organizational matters, Simonenko coordinated the work of the local building department.It has been established that Simonenko, Zhura and their accomplices, regardless of knowing that the specialist had not completely completed the work, abused their positions to approve the construction, triggering monetary damage to the regional budget plan, the authorities source was priced estimate as saying.The source added that the projected loss to the state is more than 818 million rubles ($10.45 million).
Simonenko was reportedly placed under arrest and is anticipated to be moved to Moscow, where a court will identify pre-trial restrictions.Police have yet to openly discuss the state media report.Earlier on Tuesday, officers from the Interior Ministrys monetary criminal activities and anti-corruption system and the Federal Security Service (FSB) browsed Simonenkos home and workplace, according to TASS.The vice guvs arrest came in the middle of widening investigations into alleged corruption tied to the construction of border defenses in the neighboring areas of Kursk and Belgorod.Ukrainian forces briefly inhabited parts of the Kursk area following their August 2024 incursion, despite Russias comprehensive investment in border defenses.
The incursion raised questions over the effectiveness and accounting of the building projects.Several officials in Kursk, consisting of previous Governor Alexei Smirnov, have because been charged with embezzling funds intended for the defenses.
Another former guv, Roman Starovoit, was also apparently going to deal with charges before hekilled himself outside Moscow previously this month.