A political scandal has erupted in the Kemerovo region, marked by the arrests of several officials and businessmen, including relatives of high-ranking government figures. The situation has led to the resignation of a deputy governor and exposed alleged fraud involving millions of rubles allocated for housing for orphans.

The scandal involves Olga Turbaba, the former deputy governor for internal policy, and Marina Kolyadenko, head of the Kemerovo district, who is the common-law wife of another deputy governor, Gleb Orlov. Turbaba resigned after her husband’s arrest, while Kolyadenko faces accusations related to the disappearance of 294 million rubles designated for the construction of apartments for orphans and those being resettled from dilapidated housing.

Turbaba’s husband is accused of helping to conceal the cessation of construction by creating false documents to show work was still being done on the site. The investigation suggests he received 10 million rubles for his involvement. Kolyadenko is accused of transferring funds to a construction company without guarantees and failing to demand the money back when deadlines were missed, resulting in the intended beneficiaries receiving no housing.

Turbaba had a 30-year career in the Kemerovo government, reaching the peak of her influence during the governorship of Sergei Tsivilev. Kolyadenko’s relationship with Orlov began about 15 years ago when they worked together in the Kemerovo region administration.

The prosecutors requested the detention of Turbaba’s husband and Kolyadenko due to their influential connections, large sums in their accounts, and the possibility of fleeing abroad. Both were sent to a pre-trial detention center. Further arrests among Kuzbass officials are anticipated.