A significant political scandal has unfolded in the Kemerovo region of Russia, marked by the arrest of multiple officials and businessmen, and the resignation of a high-ranking regional deputy governor. The criminal case implicates relatives of top officials in alleged fraud involving millions of rubles allocated from the budget and intended for housing for orphans.

The husband of Deputy Governor Olga Turbaba, a long-serving and influential figure in the region, was recently placed in pre-trial detention. Simultaneously, Marina Kolyadenko, the common-law wife of Deputy Governor Gleb Orlov, who oversees construction in the Kuzbass region, faces charges related to the embezzlement of 294 million rubles earmarked for housing for orphans and those relocated from dilapidated homes.

Turbaba resigned from her position as deputy governor following her husband’s arrest, ending a 30-year career in regional government. The investigation suggests Turbaba’s husband, working as a subcontractor for a construction company, falsified documents to conceal stalled progress on housing projects, allegedly receiving 10 million rubles for his actions.

Kolyadenko is accused of transferring funds to a construction company without proper guarantees and failing to recover the money when deadlines were missed, resulting in beneficiaries not receiving housing. The connections and financial resources of the accused prompted prosecutors to seek their detention during the investigation.

Sources suggest that the detentions may continue, potentially implicating other officials in the Kemerovo region. The investigation is ongoing, with further details expected to emerge in the coming days.