Two regional deputies from Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory arrested on suspicion of embezzlement

Two deputies from the Khabarovsk Territory’s Legislative Duma, Dmitry Kozlov and Sergey Kuznetsov, have been arrested on suspicion of fraud, reports RIA Novosti. Both deputies are members of the nominally opposition party LDPR. 

RIA Novosti’s source said that the two deputies were arrested in connection with the criminal investigation launched against the Khabarovsk Territory’s sitting governor, Sergey Furgal — who was arrested on Wednesday, July 8, on suspicion of orchestrating multiple murders between 2004 and 2005, as part of an alleged organized crime group.

That said, a source in law enforcement told TASS that the criminal case against Kozlov and Kuznetsov “is not yet linked” to Furgal’s case. The two deputies are suspected of large-scale embezzlement, the source also said. 

Following Furgal’s arrest, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky gave a speech at the State Duma, stating that the Russian authorities had started to behave “like under Stalin.” Zhirinovsky also threatened to stage mass resignations by all LDPR lawmakers.