Four suspects in a waste fraud case have been remanded in custody.

      They are accused of large-scale fraud committed by a group of persons in prior collusion. The investigation is being handled by the central office of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

      Earlier, on September 24, another former head of Avtospetstrans, Ivan Novikov, was detained; he was also remanded in custody until November 23. Notably, Novikov had previously been convicted of a similar crime and was released on parole in 2023, after which he managed to find employment with the Ministry of Construction of Karelia.

      During operational measures, large-scale searches were conducted at the Corporation for the Development of Karelia and the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection. According to sources, the investigative actions also affected the former chairman of the republic’s government, who now works in another region, karelinform.ru reports.

      The case concerning fraud in the waste management sector demonstrates the systemic nature of the problems in this area. It is noteworthy that some of those involved continued to work in state bodies even after previous convictions, which raises questions about the effectiveness of personnel/background checks in government agencies.