The mayor of Pechora, who was going to the front in Ukraine, was detained in a bribery case

In Koma, the mayor of Pechora, Valery Serov, who was planning to go to war in Ukraine, was detained on suspicion of corruption.

As the Investigative Committee reported on Saturday, a criminal case has been opened against Serov and his former first deputy, Andrey Kanishchev. The officials are suspected of “receiving a large bribe for the commission of illegal actions committed by a group of persons on a preliminary agreement.” According to the investigation, the bribe was received from an individual entrepreneur who was promised municipal contracts in return.

The Investigative Committee notes that Kanishchev is already in custody on a criminal case of intentional infliction of grievous harm resulting in death. In relation to Serov, a petition was sent to the court to elect him a preventive measure in the form of detention.

On September 19, it became known that Valery Serov signed a six-month contract with the Ministry of Defense and took leave from October 1 to go to the front. The Council of the Pechora District agreed on an unpaid leave of absence for him while retaining the position of the head of the municipality. CPRF deputies objected. They believe that in this way the mayor wanted to avoid criminal liability in corruption cases related to municipal contracts.

In January, Valery Serov caused a stir by insulting journalists of the Izvestia newspaper. He called them “prostitutes” when they came to Pechora to shoot a story about an emergency house. The Koma authorities then refused to fire and punish the official.