The deputy head of Barnaul’s city administration, who oversees roads and transport, was taken into custody on suspicions related to large-scale bribery. This information was released by the press service of the Investigative Committee.
According to officials, the suspect accepted a bribe of 2 million rubles in 2020 from a businessman involved in passenger transportation. The payment came through an intermediary and was tied to services that would influence the operations of the entrepreneur’s enterprises.
Under the agreements, the businessman was promised assistance with the companies he managed in exchange for a cash “fee.” The arrangement allegedly included favorable conditions to carry passengers on chosen routes, despite the absence of appropriate city buses to service those routes. This detail underscores how the scheme aimed to secure a competitive edge by using political leverage over municipal transport decisions.
The case was uncovered by investigative officers from the Altai District Directorate of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB. Their work led to the arrest of the official as part of a broader probe into corruption within local transport administration.
Law enforcement officers conducted searches at the suspect’s residence and place of work. The detention followed these searches, and prosecutors are preparing a petition to the court seeking preventive measures that would keep the official in custody during the investigation and pre-trial proceedings.
In parallel, the authorities disclosed that a criminal case for bribery has been opened against the person who provided the bribe, indicating an ongoing investigation into the entire transactional chain that facilitated the alleged corruption scheme.
Further developments in the case include public statements tying the case to broader efforts to strengthen transparency in Barnaul’s transport sector. The narrative is part of a pattern where regional authorities, security services, and investigative bodies collaborate to root out undue influence over municipal services and to hold individuals to account for the misuse of public offices.
In another related development, Evgeniy Makovsky, the former president of a company that previously supplied a Covid vaccine, has also been detained on suspicions of bribery. This civilian-procurement linked incident highlights ongoing concerns about integrity in the processes that govern public health and emergency response logistics in the region. The justice system is expected to continue its review of these cases, with court proceedings anticipated in the near term and further disclosures likely as investigations proceed. These events collectively reflect a high level of scrutiny over how private interests intersect with municipal governance and public service delivery, particularly in the critical area of passenger transport and health-related procurement. Attribution: Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service