Two fresh criminal cases have been opened against Anton Ivanov, the former mayor of Belgorod, according to a statement cited by TASS from a prosecutor’s representative. The new lawsuits accuse him of illegal land transactions and of accepting bribes in the form of a Lenovo laptop valued at more than 150,000 rubles, with the total potential impact to the Belgorod Region’s budget surpassing 10 million rubles. The charges reference paragraph “c” of Part 5 of Article 290 and paragraph “c” of Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The authorities have signaled that these cases are part of ongoing efforts to tackle corruption and misconduct within regional administration.
Previously, the Belgorod Sverdlovsky District Court ordered Ivanov detained for two months in a separate bribery investigation. He is under suspicion of taking substantial bribes, with investigators stating that the official is believed to have received at least 8.5 million rubles. The case underscores the persistent focus on financial integrity among regional authorities and the vigilance of law enforcement agencies in monitoring public officials.
In December 2021, Ivanov won the position of head of the Belgorod administration and later announced his resignation at the end of October of the following year. His decision was publicly supported by Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the Belgorod region, highlighting an alignment within the regional leadership during that transition. The unfolding legal proceedings are now shaping how the region’s governance is perceived and how future administrative decisions will be scrutinized in the context of anti-corruption measures.