OREANDA-NEWS The 235th garrison military court, at the request of the investigation, sent under arrest until October 29 the former Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the reserve army Pavel Popov, detained in a criminal case of fraud, an Interfax correspondent reported.

The meeting was held in a closed mode from the audience. The investigator requested the closure of the meeting.

Popov is charged with especially large-scale fraud (part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His detention was reported earlier on Thursday by the Investigative Committee of Russia.

According to investigators, in 2021-2024, Popov, who was responsible for the development, maintenance and operation of the Patriot Park, "enriched himself at the expense of this institution," acting jointly with Vyacheslav Akhmedov, director of the park, and Vladimir Shesterov, Deputy head of the Main Department of Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

According to the investigation, "Popov organized the execution of construction and repair work, as well as the supply of various material assets to himself on a country plot in the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow region at the expense of the Patriot Park.

In addition, according to the investigation, through his subordinates, Popov forced the heads of commercial organizations working with the Patriot Park to carry out construction and installation work for free in his country apartments.

After the construction of the house and landscaping of the site, Popov continued to provide technical and economic maintenance of his plot of about 3 hectares at the expense of the park, the investigation insists.

Popov served as Deputy Minister of Defense from 2013 to 2024.

The defendants in Popov's case, Akhmedov and Shesterov, were detained earlier in August. Akhmedov was sent to jail by the court, Shesterov was placed under house arrest. According to the Kommersant newspaper, both pleaded guilty.