Russian Deputy Defense Minister arrested for major bribery case
7:42 AM EDT, April 24, 2024
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov listened in horror as a Moscow court delivered its verdict. The court announced that Ivanov, a deputy to Shoigu, had been arrested and would be detained for two months. He faces charges of accepting bribes "on an especially large scale."
"The court has decided to impose a preventive measure in the form of temporary arrest for a period of 2 months, until June 23, 2024, against Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Timur Viktorovich Ivanov," the court explained.
Bribes exceeding a million rubles
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin were briefed about Ivanov's arrest on Tuesday.
On Tuesday evening, the Russian Investigative Committee revealed that Ivanov was detained for allegedly accepting a bribe "on an especially large scale." According to "The Moscow Times", the sum involved exceeds 1 million rubles.
Ivanov has denied all charges.
The maximum penalty for such an offence is 15 years in prison.
Who is Ivanov?
By presidential decree, Ivanov has served as the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation since May 2016. He is responsible for overseeing the military construction complex within the Ministry of Defense of Russia.
Born in 1975 in Moscow, Ivanov began his career in the Russian energy sector. His career took a significant turn upward thanks to Sergei Shoigu. In 2012, when Shoigu became the governor of the Moscow region, Ivanov was made his deputy. Later, in 2016, Shoigu appointed him as Deputy Minister of Defense. Since October 2022, Ivanov has been subject to sanctions by the European Union.
