The purchasing director of Russia’s nationalized pasta manufacturer Makfa was arrested on suspicion of bribery, Russian news agencies reported Thursday, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.
Vladlen Parshin was detained in the Chelyabinsk region, according to Interfax, TASS and RIA Novosti. No further details about the case were disclosed, while Makfa’s press service said Parshin’s arrest came as a “big surprise.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, were involved in the arrest, according to the regional news website 74.ru, which cited anonymous sources.
Parshin, a former police colonel, joined Makfa sometime in the mid-2010s after retiring from law enforcement, according to 74.ru’s profile of the executive.
The Russian government seized Makfa Group’s assets last year as part of what has been described as the Kremlin’s expanding nationalization campaign following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Prosecutors argued that Makfa Group’s owners violated anti-corruption laws by running the business while holding political office.
Makfa’s main beneficiaries are former Chelyabinsk region Governor Mikhail Yurevich, who is a suspect in a bribery case, and former regional lawmaker Vadim Belousov, who was convicted on bribery charges in 2022.
Parshin was described as Yurevich’s “protege” in 74.ru’s profile.
The same Chelyabinsk court that ordered Makfa’s nationalization ruled last month to recover 19.7 billion rubles ($224.8 million) in profits and dividends from Makfa’s ex-owners, covering the period from 2002 to 2024.
Makfa’s former owners are challenging its nationalization in court.
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