Source link : https://london-news.net/bribery-scandal-unveiled-former-kursk-governor-confesses-amid-investigations/
Alexei Smirnov, the former Governor of the Kursk region, has confessed to accepting bribes related to construction projects for border defenses, as reported by Russian state media on Thursday, citing law enforcement sources.
Smirnov, who served as governor until December 2024, made this admission as part of a plea agreement with investigators, according to sources from the TASS news agency. His ex-deputy, Alexei Dedov, is also facing legal charges.
State prosecutors allege that the two men led an “organized group” that misappropriated 1 billion rubles (approximately $11.7 million) from public finances allocated for defense fortifications along Russia’s southwestern border with Ukraine. Investigators assert that Smirnov and Dedov received around 30 million rubles (about $350,000) in bribes from businessmen involved in the construction contracts.
These allegations follow an incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region in August 2024, shortly after Smirnov took office. Despite substantial investments by Moscow in border defenses, Ukrainian troops were able to capture significant areas before being expelled by Russian forces, assisted by North Korean troops, earlier this year.
At least 11 officials and corporate executives have been implicated in related cases concerning border construction, according to Russian media. Former officials from the Kursk Region Development Corporation revealed to investigators that they provided Smirnov and Dedov with a 15% kickback…
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Author : rimmaruslan98@gmail.com
Publish date : 2025-09-11 14:29:00
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