Rosgvardiya general sentenced for massive bribery seeks military redemption
The Deputy Commander of the Central District of the Rosgvardiya, Major General Vadim Dragomiretski, was found guilty of corruption. Before the verdict was announced, the military officer requested the investigators.
The Deputy Commander of the Central District of the Rosgvardiya, Major General Vadim Dragomiretski, was detained on 20 March last year on corruption charges. The court sentenced him to 9 years and 6 months in a high-security penal colony. It was also decided to strip him of his military rank. According to Kommersant, before the verdict was announced, Dragomiretski requested permission from the investigators to participate in the "special military operation," as Russia describes its aggression against Ukraine.
The convict expects to atone for his guilt by participating in the special military operation and has already submitted the relevant application, said the lawyer of the former general, quoted by Kommersant.
The court found Dragomiretski guilty of receiving a bribe amounting to 190 million rubles (€2.2 million) from a company that was supposed to carry out a series of works for Rosgvardiya. He was also indicated to have organized a criminal group that included his subordinate Lieutenant Colonel Eldar Gadzhiev, Colonel Mamuka Kochaev, and his acquaintance Aron Avnilov.
Dragomiretski himself claimed that he was unaware of Kochaev's contacts with contractors. At the same time, he admitted that his subordinate allegedly gave him 2.3 million rubles (€27,000) as a New Year's gift for patronage and promotion.
Will Dragomiretski appeal?
Dragomiretski's lawyer announced an appeal against the verdict, calling the ruling erroneous. He believes that the investigation did not prove the existence of an organised group in which his client was supposed to hold a leading position. - Some members of this group didn't even know each other, stated the lawyer.
The lawyer stated that his client does not have significant wealth, which is supposed to be proof of his honesty. He recalled that the former military officer served for more than 30 years, advancing from Border Service Sergeant to General, receiving many state decorations during that time, and has a disabled child to support.
Dragomiretski's request to be sent to the special military operation zone is not the only one. Gadzhiev, sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony, reportedly applied similarly.
