The home of former Petrozavodsk mayor Vladimir Lyubarsky was searched on November 20, according to the Telegram channels Onezhskiye Shkhery ("Onega Skerries") and Dolgo Budet Karelia Snitsa ("Karelia to Remain Long in Our Dreams").
The Investigative Committee confirmed to Karelia.News that Vladimir Lyubarsky has been charged with large-scale bribery (Article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code).
The ex-mayor is accused of accepting a bribe of 37 million rubles from a contractor responsible for providing meals to hospitals and social institutions in Karelia. Investigators allege that he helped the company secure state contracts and facilitated the acceptance of their services in exchange for the payment.
Lyubarsky stepped down as mayor in the summer of 2023 to join the Akhmat battalion. He denied claims that his decision to enlist was linked to the threat of criminal prosecution.
In September 2023, Lyubarsky announced he would not extend his contract and subsequently returned home after serving for five months and sustaining an arm injury.
Lyubarsky was slated to be appointed as Karelia’s representative to the president in May 2024, but the Presidential Administration ultimately rejected his candidacy.