Ex-Kursk Region Governor Alexei Smirnov Sentenced to 14 Years for Bribery

© пресс-служба судов Курской области

Former Kursk Region Governor Alexei Smirnov has been found guilty of receiving bribes on a massive scale, according to the Kursk Regional Judicial System Press Service.

Investigations and court proceedings revealed that Smirnov, along with his deputy Alexei Dedov, accepted monetary rewards from contractors in exchange for general patronage and assistance in securing government contracts, including the construction of fortifications in border areas. The total amount of bribes exceeded 20 million rubles. Smirnov fully admitted his guilt.

The court sentenced him to 14 years in a strict-regime penal colony and fined him 400 million rubles. Additionally, Smirnov was ordered to return 20.9 million rubles, illegally obtained, to the state budget and was stripped of the title "Honored Worker of Housing and Utilities Services," which he received from the President in 2023.