A statement from the Moscow judiciary states that Ivanov will be held in pre-trial detention for at least two months, until June 23, while he awaits trial.
The accused attended this Wednesday’s hearing wearing military uniform and remained inside the glass cubicle reserved for detainees.
A source from the security forces who requested anonymity, cited by the TASS agency, said that Ivanov will remain detained in Lefortovo prison, in Moscow, managed by the Russian security services.
American journalist Evan Gershkovich is being held in the same prison.
Ivanov was accused of receiving “large-scale bribes”, a crime that can be punished by up to 15 years in prison. An alleged accomplice, Sergei Borodin, received the same charge and will also be placed in pre-trial detention.
Responsible for coordinating works at the Ministry of Defense, Ivanov would have participated in a corruption scheme linked to the “contracting and outsourcing” of work for the department.
At the end of 2022, an investigation by the Navalny foundation accused the deputy minister of having supervised and profited from construction projects in Mariupol, a Ukrainian city conquered by Russia after months of siege and fighting.
Tags: Preventive arrest Russian minister accused corruption profiting reconstruction Mariupol News
