Russian Defense Minister implicated in corruption scandal

Vladimir Putin fired Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, who is suspected of corruption. Sergei Shoigu, a former Minister of Emergency Situations and a staunch ally of Putin, was appointed to this position. The Russian Investigative Committee is investigating the sale of Defense Ministry assets at less than market value.

Putin said today that he removed Mr. Serdyukov in order to create "the conditions for an objective investigation.
Last month, investigators searched the offices of the state-controlled military contractor Oboronservis and launched an investigation into nearly three billion rubles in losses to the state. "Oboronservis is responsible for the logistics of the army, the purchase of weapons and the construction of military facilities.

Previously, Mr. Serdyukov was involved in the furniture business, was the head of the tax service, and in 2007 was appointed Minister of Defense.
For six years, Serdyukov tried to reform the Armed Forces by reducing the army and selling off civilian and military facilities.
But according to unconfirmed reports, he had an argument with his father-in-law, former Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, for which he paid the price. Now it is likely that he will be a defendant in a fraud case.