Russian officials held longer in $55M bribery and fraud scandal

A high-profile corruption case in Nizhny Novgorod has taken a new turn. Former city official Ilya Shtokman and his brother remain in custody after a court extended their pretrial detention. The case involves allegations of bribery and the misuse of public contracts. Ilya Shtokman, once the first deputy head of Nizhny Novgorod’s city administration, stands accused of taking a bribe. Alongside his brother, he is alleged to have acted as an intermediary in the transfer of illicit funds. The payment, totalling 55 million rubles, came from Karim Ibragimov, a local city council deputy.

The money was reportedly sent to a concrete plant owned by the Shtokman brothers. Prosecutors claim the transaction was disguised as a payment for gravel supplies. In exchange, Shtokman allegedly ensured Ibragimov’s company received a lucrative municipal contract.

Moscow’s investigative authorities have now forwarded the case files to the Nizhny Novgorod District Court. A judge has prolonged the defendants’ pretrial detention by six months from the date of submission. Additionally, assets worth 328 million rubles linked to the suspects have been seized. The detention extension allows investigators more time to prepare their case. The seized assets remain under court control as the legal process continues. The next steps will depend on the court’s review of the submitted materials.