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- A gap in defense: searches were conducted at the deputy head of the Bryansk region
A gap in defense: searches were conducted at the deputy head of the Bryansk region
On the morning of July 22, Deputy Governor of the Bryansk region Nikolai Simonenko was searched as part of a criminal investigation into embezzlement during the construction of fortifications on the border with Ukraine, including the so-called "dragon's teeth." At the same time, the region is considering a series of lawsuits by the prosecutor's office against contractors in connection with violations of contract terms and penalties. The procedural status of Symonenko has not yet been clarified. For more information about investigations in the border territories, see the Izvestia article.
Why were searches conducted at the deputy governor of the Bryansk region
The searches of the security forces at the vice-governor of the Bryansk region became known on Tuesday morning, July 22. According to a source in Izvestia, these events may be related to the investigation of embezzlement during the construction of fortifications on the border with Ukraine. We are talking about the so-called "dragon's teeth".
Details about the searches and the procedural status of Simonenko are not specified, our interlocutor clarified.
According to TASS, with reference to law enforcement agencies, the official became a defendant in a case of abuse of power. Searches are conducted by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB both at Simonenko's place of residence and at his workplace.
As military expert Alexei Leonkov explained to Izvestia, such defensive barriers can stop any existing armored vehicles.
"Dragon's Teeth" are fortifications made of pyramid—shaped concrete, they are placed along the entire line of combat contact and they are a continuation of the famous anti-tank "hedgehogs" that were used during the Great Patriotic War. They prevent the advance of armored vehicles, both heavy and light, and make it easier to destroy them. Despite their simplicity, these barriers proved to be a fairly effective obstacle that the Ukrainian army could not overcome," Leonkov said.
What kind of investigation is taking place in the Bryansk region due to embezzlement
The day before, on July 20, it became known that an investigation was underway in the Bryansk region into embezzlement during the construction of fortifications. RIA Novosti, citing court documents, reported that Svetlana Afanasyeva was among the suspects. At the end of May, the court seized the funds belonging to her in the amount of about 20.8 million rubles. Her position is not specified.
The Arbitration Court of the Bryansk Region is considering a series of lawsuits related to contracts for the construction of fortifications. The regional prosecutor's office demands to invalidate certain provisions of the agreements concluded with Vodokanal Dubrovsky and Stroy-Kom companies, as well as to collect penalties from them — 2.2 million rubles and more than 4.8 million rubles, respectively.
The Department of Capital Construction of the Bryansk Region is among the defendants. The administration and the government of the region, the Department of Construction, the regional departments of the Federal Antimonopoly Service and the federal Treasury are also involved in the process as third parties, according to the documents in the file file of the court.
The prosecutor's office applied to seize the current and future funds of the companies in the settlement accounts, but the court rejected these demands, and the appellate instance upheld this decision. All meetings are held behind closed doors.
Where else have there been investigations of embezzlement in the border regions
Investigations of embezzlement during the construction of fortifications are underway in a number of Russian border regions. Similar criminal cases have been initiated in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions, where embezzlement of budget funds intended for the construction of defensive fortifications on the Russian-Ukrainian border is suspected.
In June, Vice-Governor Rustem Zainullin was detained in the Belgorod region, who was charged with embezzling about 32 million rubles during the construction of defensive structures on the border with Ukraine. Cases of embezzlement of funds within the framework of defensive fortification projects funded from the federal budget in the amount of almost 20 billion rubles are being investigated.
Unscrupulous contractors are accused of overstating the cost of work and abuse. In the same case, Alexey Soshnikov, the former head of the Belgorod Region Capital Construction Department, and two employees of this organization were taken into custody.
In the Kursk region, former governor Alexei Smirnov and his deputy Alexei Dedov were detained in the case of large-scale embezzlement of more than 1 billion rubles during the construction of fortifications on the border territory. They are charged with fraud and abuse of office.
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