Corruption

Russian Prison Official Steals Highway

In an outrageous story of alleged theft, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested National Prison Service Acting Deputy Chief Alexander Protopopov and his accomplices this week for (literal) highway robbery, reported Kommersant.His accomplices Valery Ivanov, chief of a penal colony in the region, Roman Korzhov, another local official, and business representative Ramala Jabbarly have also been arrested, according to a statementby the Russian Investigative Committee.

Protopopov allegedly stole 50 km (31 miles) of road worth 6 million roubles (US $79,000) in the northern Komi region of Russia. The highway was located near the area of the district of Vozhskaya Udorsky, reported Russian newspaper Gazeta.

Road construction is one of the most corrupt infrastructure sectors in Russia costing much more than others, according to Agence-France Presse (AFP). Russia’s roads have some of the poorest conditions in the world, reported online industry journal World Highways.