Former deputy head of the Ministry of Defense Pavel Popov, accused of fraud, was offered a plea deal, but he refused. He writes about it “Kommersant”.
The investigation considers Popov to be the organizer of a criminal group that included former director of Patriot Park Vyacheslav Akhmedov and Major General Shesterov in 2021. Together they managed to steal “at least 30 million rubles” from the budget. According to Kommersant, Akhmedov and Shesterov agreed to pre-trial cooperation agreements with the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office. The same agreement, which would require the defendant not only to plead guilty but also to assist the investigation, was offered to Popov, but he refused.
If a plea deal is reached, the prison sentence could be reduced by a third.
On September 4, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation officially presented Former Deputy Chief of the Russian Defense Ministry Pavel Popov was charged under the “Fraud” article. Popov did not admit his guilt and refused to testify.
On August 29, law enforcement was detained Popov on suspicion of enrichment at the expense of the Patriot Park. It is assumed that the former Deputy Minister of Defense organized the construction and renovation of his own suburban area in the Krasnogorsk district, while carrying out work on the development of the relevant territory.
Earlier, former deputy head of the Ministry of Defense Popov real estate owner worth more than 500 million rubles.
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Source: Gazeta
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