Dmitry Kolobov, a former high-ranking official at Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade, was arrested on charges of embezzling budget funds allocated for innovative import-substitution projects. The decision was made by the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow, and the official will remain in custody until September 16.
According to TASS and RBC, citing sources, one of the episodes in the case involves the production of adult diapers from Russian pulp. The damage from this episode, according to investigators, exceeds 50 million rubles.
A TASS source did not rule out that new episodes could emerge in the case, and the total damage could rise to 1 billion rubles.
In court, Kolobov asked to be placed under house arrest or a ban on certain actions. When the judge read out the arrest order, the former official fainted.
The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that Kolobov resigned from the ministry in May 2023.