The Interior Ministry announced a lengthy investigation against ex-Governor Smirnov.

The investigation of the activities of the ex-governor of the Kursk region Alexei Smirnov has been conducted for several months. This was reported by TASS on Thursday, April 17.

The ministry clarified that Smirnov's guilt has already been practically proven.

"Operational measures on Smirnov himself had been going on for several months when information appeared about his involvement in the fraudulent scheme," the law enforcement agencies said.

Defense initiative: why the ex-head of the Kursk region was arrested

Alexey Smirnov faces up to ten years in prison.

Smirnov was detained earlier on April 16. It is specified that the testimony against the ex-governor was given by the former CEO of the Kursk Region Development Corporation, Vladimir Lukin, who has already been arrested in the case of embezzlement during the construction of fortifications. On the same day, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow arrested the former head of the Kursk region for two months.

According to Irina Volk, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, law enforcement officers charged Smirnov and his deputy Alexei Dedov with embezzlement of more than 1 billion rubles.