An epathetic vice-governor of the Belgorod region has been arrested in the case of embezzlement in the construction of defense lines.
The vice-governor of the Belgorod region Rustem Zainullin has been detained. Information about this was confirmed by a source of “Kommersant” in law enforcement agencies.
The reasons for the detention are unknown. Officially, law enforcement agencies and the regional government did not inform about Mr. Zainullin’s detention. TASS reports that the court at the request of the investigation has remanded the vice-governor in custody in the fraud case. Now, according to the newspaper, preventive measures are being chosen for two more businessmen detained together with the official.
Belgorod blogger and businessman Andrei Malikov was the first to report about Mr. Zainullin’s detention. According to him, the detention took place as part of an investigation into embezzlement in the construction of fortifications on the border with Ukraine. As Kommersant previously reported, the regional department of the Interior Ministry believes that during the construction of defensive structures, contractors could pass illegal payments for patronage to government officials.
Rustem Zainullin has served as vice-governor of the Belgorod region since the beginning of 2022. He supervises property and land relations in the region. Before coming to Belgorod, Mr. Zainullin worked in Udmurtia and Sevastopol. At the end of last year, the official served a month and a half in the Bars-Belgorod volunteer unit.