Former Rostov deputy governor Okunev faces new criminal case

Russian investigators have opened an abuse-of-office case against Vladimir Okunev, according to TASS sources in law enforcement. He was already facing a separate money-laundering investigation.

Investigators allege that the former deputy governor and transport minister created the appearance of competition in 53 tenders for road works. Lenta.ru reports that they attribute unlawful proceeds of 1.9 billion rubles to the scheme. These figures describe the investigators' allegations, not a criminal court's findings.

The money-laundering allegations concern almost 40 million rubles used to buy trucks registered to relatives. According to investigators, the vehicles were leased to a state company through the affiliated business Transnerud-Yug.

Okunev was charged in absentia and placed on Russia's wanted list. Reports about his possible whereabouts in Armenia remain attributed to law-enforcement sources rather than independently established.

Separately, a court ordered the forfeiture of property belonging to Okunev, his former deputy Svetlana Shapovalova and their relatives, valued at more than 700 million rubles. That property decision does not establish guilt in the newly reported criminal case.