Sehar Timings Mar 29 - Ramazan 18

Lahore
LHR
04:36 AM
Karachi
KHI
05:12 AM
Islamabad
ISB
04:38 AM
Peshawar
PWR
04:42 AM
Quetta
QTA
05:07 AM

News

Russian ex-prison official commits suicide in court

February 13, 2020 01:23 AM


A former top official in the Russian prison service shot and killed himself in a Moscow court on Wednesday shortly after being jailed for extortion, a court spokeswoman said.

Viktor Sviridov, who previously headed the prison service’s transport department, “committed suicide in the courtroom by shooting himself in the chest”, a spokeswoman for Moscow City Court told AFP.

Sviridov, 71, had pleaded not guilty to extorting 10 million rubles ($159,000) from a former deputy director of the prison service. He was found guilty and sentenced him to three years in a penal colony.

As police walked over to arrest him following sentencing at the Chertanovo district court, he drew the pistol and shot himself. He died at the scene.

His sentence was less than the maximum possible term of 15 years because he had been diagnosed with advanced cancer, Russian media reported.

It was unclear how the former official, who had been living at home while subject to a travel ban, managed to take a gun into the Chertanovo district court despite metal detectors at the entrance.

The Investigative Committee, which probes serious incidents, said it was looking into possible criminal negligence and would check “metal detectors at the entrance to the court building, designed to detect banned objects.”

Ren-TV channel aired what it said  was security camera footage of Sviridov going through the metal detector and showing his bag to court bailiffs before being allowed through.

The pistol Sviridov used was given to him as an award, investigators said in a statement. Sviridov had served in the police before working in the prison service for several years.

Investigations into corruption in the prison service have uncovered rampant violations involving officials and several have killed themselves.

In 2012, the former deputy head of the far eastern Khabarovsk region’s prison service committed suicide while facing accusations of corruption. His predecessor had killed himself six months earlier, also while facing fraud charges.

A former head of the prison service, Alexander Reimer, was sentenced to eight years in 2017 for embezzling millions of dollars of state funding allocated to buy electronic bracelets. 

 



Most Read

  1. Aitchison College principal resigns over differences with Punjab governor Aitchison College principal resigns over differences with Punjab governor
  2. Man murders young sister by smothering her with pillow in Toba Tek Singh Man murders young sister by smothering her with pillow in Toba Tek Singh
  3. Aitchison College students, parents stage protest against principal’s resignation Aitchison College students, parents stage protest against principal’s resignation
  4. Tribal firefight in Gotki, Motorways section shut down Tribal firefight in Gotki, Motorways section shut down
  5. Five Chinese among six killed in Shangla suicide bombing Five Chinese among six killed in Shangla suicide bombing
  6. Transferred: Lawman bears the brunt of flagging down lawmaker Transferred: Lawman bears the brunt of flagging down lawmaker

Opinion

  1. IMEC to sabotage CPEC
    IMEC to sabotage CPEC

    By Dr Asif Channer

  2. 1947 TO FORM 47
    1947 TO FORM 47

    By Dr Asif Channer

  3. Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....
    Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....

    By Ali Ramay

  4. Global race: China will reduce its unnecessary expenses
    Global race: China will reduce its unnecessary expenses

    By Ali Ramay

  5. Channer Pir: The Great Saint of Cholistan
    Channer Pir: The Great Saint of Cholistan

    By Dr Asif Channer

  6. Literate the Religious Illiterate
    Literate the Religious Illiterate

    By Dr Asif Channer