A TOP Putin crony who was to be a key witness in a major Kremlin corruption scandal has “suddenly” died under mysterious circumstances.
Russian general Magomed Khandayev, 61, was head of the State Expertise Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
East2WestRussian Colonel-General Magomed Khandayev, 61, has ‘suddenly’ died[/caption]
He was subordinate to deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov, 48, who was dramatically arrested on suspicion of £9 million corruption schemes – and remains in custody.
Khandayev was seen as a key witness in a corruption scandal shrouding the Russian defence ministry amid Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine.
He now joins the string of unexplained deaths of leading Russian figures under mysterious circumstances.
Previously, the dead general served as General Director of the Main Directorate of Special Construction.
“He was one of the influential figures in the construction of Ministry of Defence facilities throughout the country,” said a source.
The cause of Khandayev’s death has not been specified.
His body was flown to Moscow to his home region of Dagestan for burial, according to reports.
He held a string of state honours including the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
News outlet Kompromat Group said Khandayev had a “close connection with high-ranking officials whose activities have recently attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies.”
His death “raises questions, especially against the backdrop of recent ‘clean-ups’ among senior leaders of the Ministry of Defence related to corruption scandals.
“It is unclear how far investigators planned to go in their investigations or whether Khandayev’s death was part of a larger picture.
“The death of the general will certainly become a convenient occasion for those who seek to cover up the traces of corruption schemes in the Ministry of Defence.
“Now that Khandayev, who potentially has important information, can no longer testify, many cases may be closed or reconsidered, thereby avoiding further investigations and possible charges against high-ranking officials.”
Brief news outlet said: “Ivanov will now have one less headache.”
Vladimir Rogov – head of an organisation promoting Putin and Russia in invaded areas of Ukraine – said that Khandayev had “died suddenly”.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
Leave a comment
