Another defense ministry fraud inquiry underway

Russian law-enforcement agencies are preparing for another fraud case related to the defense ministry, Interfax cites a source as saying.

Former deputy head of the Central Bank and former deputy finance minister Sergey Aleksashenko told Ekho Moskvy yesterday that the whole issue probably reflects a serious conflict within the Russian political elite.

There are no indications that President Putin is really interested in fighting corruption and waste, so the case is probably a part of a struggle for power between different groups of senior officials, Aleksashenko said.