In a new chapter of corruption among some Russian military officials, the military court has arrested the head of the Russian army’s communications department, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, pending a two-month investigation on bribery charges.
A judicial source revealed on Thursday that the court approved the military prosecutor’s request and ruled to detain the accused for two months, according to the Novosti news agency. The source added that if found guilty, Shamarin could face up to 15 years in prison.
This arrest follows a series of similar incidents: at the end of April, the Russian Investigative Committee detained Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of accepting bribes. In mid-May, the committee announced the arrest of General Staff Eighth Division Chief Yuri Kuznetsov for allegedly taking bribes from commercial entities.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented at the time, stating that the investigations into Ministry of Defense officers, including General Staff Officer Yuri Kuznetsov and Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, are matters exclusively handled by investigative authorities.