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General Popov pleaded not guilty to fraud and official forgery in court
General Popov pleaded not guilty to fraud and forgery in court
Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Army, pleaded not guilty to fraud and forgery in court. Today, the Tambov Garrison Military Court began considering the case on the merits.
"At the moment, 99% of the data released by the prosecution has nothing to do with me, but the meaning and content of the charge are clear. I do not plead guilty," Popov said after the indictment was read out (quoted by TASS).
That evening, Judge Dmitry Letunovsky granted the state prosecutor's motion to continue the trial behind closed doors until the issue of non-disclosure of information in the defense area was considered.
The general did not admit guilt even at the stage of preliminary investigation. Meanwhile, another defendant in the case, businessman Sergei Moiseyev, pleaded guilty in full. In addition, according to the investigation, the now deceased Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov participated in the theft, RIA Novosti reports.
According to the investigation, Popov was involved in the theft in 2023 of more than 1,700 tons of rolled metal purchased by the military-civil administration of the Zaporizhia region for equipping engineering and protective structures. The cost of the materials is more than 100 million rubles. At the same time, according to the Investigative Committee, Popov received a little more than a million dollars for his "services".