Former Russian deputy governor faces charges in major fraud case

Former Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Oleg Chemezov has been taken into custody, local outlet E1.ru reported, a development later confirmed to RBC by a source familiar with the matter.

The detention is linked to a criminal investigation concerning subsidies provided by the regional government to OTSK JSC, a subsidiary of STS Corporation. Before his arrest, Chemezov had been summoned for questioning by the Main Investigation Department of the regional branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On September 25, Chemezov was dismissed from his position after becoming a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office. The suit seeks the transfer of companies and property connected to STS Corporation into state ownership.

Chemezov’s lawyer, Maria Kirillova, told the publication that her client had been detained “despite having medical conditions that prevent him from being held in custody.” She warned that without medical supervision, the risks could be life-threatening.

His former wife, Irina Chemezova, is also implicated in the case. Earlier in September, she was placed under house arrest. She faces charges under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers “fraud on an especially large scale.”

According to Kirillova, Chemezov’s potential arrest would leave their four children without guardians, as their mother remains under house arrest.

By Tamilla Hasanova