An active Russian security official and former Kremlin staffer has been reportedly charged with embezzling more than 20 million rubles ($300,000) from a luxury watch pawnbroker.
Mikhail Gorbatov, a Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel and the presidential administration’s former chief of monitoring and inspection, faces up to two years in prison, the Kommersant business daily reported.
Gorbatov and two accomplices are suspected of extorting $300,000 from a high-end watch pawnshop owner, the report said Monday, citing case materials.
The unnamed victim reportedly pressed charges after being blackmailed into giving the suspects four luxury watches — including two Harry Winston and one De Witt and Bovet watches — as collateral.
Unlike accomplices Arno Khodzhoyan and Vladimir Korobkov, Gorbatov did not appeal the charges against him.
Kommersant said Gorbatov was fired from the presidential administration’s monitoring and inspection department – where he oversaw the implementation of presidential pardons and political asylum cases – after his arrest. FSB still lists him as an active colonel, the publication reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
