Russian Authorities Finalize Pavel Popov’s Probe
(MENAFN) Russian authorities announced on Wednesday the completion of their investigation into former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov, who was taken into custody in August of last year amid allegations of financial misconduct.
The case has been closely followed due to the high-profile nature of the individuals involved and the scale of the accusations.
According to Investigative Committee representative Svetlana Petrenko, Popov faces charges under five separate provisions of the criminal code.
These include allegations of “accepting a bribe,” “fraud,” “illegal possession of weapons,” “official forgery,” and “abuse of office.”
These offenses point to a wide-ranging scheme that spanned multiple years and involved serious breaches of public trust.
The official statement outlined that the investigation uncovered acts of embezzlement committed by Popov in collaboration with Defense Ministry official Vladimir Shesterov and Vyacheslav Akhmedov, who previously directed Moscow’s Patriot Park.
The trio is accused of having “deliberately entered false information” related to construction activities at the military-themed park between 2022 and 2024, leading to the misappropriation of state funds.
Patriot Park, which opened in 2014 in the town of Kubinka in the Moscow area, serves as both an amusement facility and a showcase for Russian military hardware, with exhibitions that commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II.
Legal proceedings have already concluded for Popov’s alleged accomplices.
Shesterov was sentenced to six years of imprisonment last month, while Akhmedov was handed a five-year term just last week, reflecting the seriousness of the charges and the judiciary's stance on corruption.
Petrenko also detailed that Popov had accepted a bribe exceeding 45 million rubles (roughly $560,000) from the head of a construction company over a ten-year span, from 2014 to 2024.
The investigation also found that he “illegally employed and dismissed employees” at Patriot Park, resulting in financial damages estimated at more than 8 million rubles (around $99,530).
“In order to ensure the sentence in terms of the fine, possible civil claim and other property collections, the defendant's property in the amount of over 100 million Russian rubles ($1.2 million) was seized,” Petrenko stated, confirming that assets have been frozen to potentially cover restitution and penalties.
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