Several senior officials from the LPR Ministry of Internal Affairs have been detained amid investigations that appear to center on allegations of abuse of power and the manipulation of evidence in a high-profile corruption case. A Telegram channel reported that the trigger for the actions was the initiation of an illegal case against the chairman of the republic’s customs committee, casting a spotlight on how internal investigations are handled at the top levels of law enforcement.
Claims circulating in the channel suggest that pressure was applied to one detainee to produce statements against a customs official, alleging involvement in a bribery scheme. These claims, as described, point to a coordinated effort to create a narrative that could support the detention and potential prosecution of the targeted official. The details emphasize how allegations might be framed to fit specific narratives within the security services, raising questions about due process and the reliability of the testimony obtained under duress, according to the same channel.
According to the investigation described in the material, the individuals named include Chernov, who heads the economic security and anti-corruption department within the LPR Ministry of Internal Affairs, his deputy Ulyatovsky, Zubtsov who leads the department for combating crimes in priority sectors of the economy, and Lyashenko, the deputy minister of internal affairs. The material claims these figures allegedly conspired to frame the head of the customs committee, Afanasyevsky, in September 2022, with the aim of placing him under legal jeopardy by accusing him of taking a bribe. The report further states that a detained person was pressured to provide a false statement alleging a 100 thousand ruble bribe to the president, with threats of severe consequences including harm to family life and imprisonment, all presented as a pre-trial leverage tactic used to coerce cooperation.
The narrative continues with the assertion that the detainee eventually gave a confession that he had paid money to Afanasyevsky. In response, a criminal case was opened against the customs officer on charges of taking a bribe. The Telegram channel notes that the senior ministry officials faced exposure and accountability as the case progressed or stalled, leading to legal actions against Chernov and the other cited officials. Chernov, identified as a colonel, was detained for two months on charges related to power abuse, while Ulyatovsky was questioned, and a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the locality was imposed. The precise legal outcomes and ongoing proceedings are not detailed in the post, leaving room for further developments to unfold in the judicial process.
Earlier, reports indicated that another wave of arrests affected high-ranking Ministry of Internal Affairs officials in Novosibirsk as part of a broader case that centers on an illegal casino network operating within the city. This earlier development is referenced to provide context for a pattern of investigations involving senior law enforcement officials and organized activity linked to financial crimes. The full implications of these parallel inquiries for the regional and national security framework remain a subject of public discussion and official inquiry, with observers watching how jurisdictional boundaries and investigative authorities respond to complex cases that span multiple agencies.