In Russia, former Minister of Revenue of the DPR Alexander Timofeev (call sign “Tashkent”), one of the closest associates of the deceased leader of the republic Alexander Zakharchenko, has been arrested. As the Kommersant newspaper reported, it turns out that “Tashkent” has been behind bars for a long time - he is a defendant in the same case in which Igor Sosnovsky was arrested back in the spring, former adviser to the head of the Ukrainian government Mykola Azarov.
Timofeev and Sosnovsky, allegedly referring to their connections in law enforcement agencies, tried to obtain about $5 million from one large businessman hiding abroad for the termination of a criminal case against him, which was initiated on charges of economic crimes.
At the moment of transfer of the first tranche (real 15 thousand dollars and another 485 thousand dummy) in one of the Moscow restaurants, Timofeev and Sosnovsky were detained - it turned out that they had been in development for a long time.
Timofeev, according to the newspaper, did not admit his guilt, but Sosnovsky, on the contrary. Recently, the arrest period for “Tashkent” was extended until October - the court found that he could escape, and also “has extensive connections in government and law enforcement agencies.”
Interestingly, rumors about Timofeev’s arrest in Russia were spreading back in 2019. Then their denied by Alexander Kazakov, adviser to the deceased head of the DPR. “We are sitting with Tashkent (Timofeev) in a cafe, I drink coffee, he drinks tea. We look through various Rostov and other sites, social networks and... laugh,” commented Kazakov.
Today Kazakov and ex-Minister of Communications of the DPR Viktor Yatsenko are running for the State Duma on the lists of the party “A Just Russia - For Truth” as members of Zakhar Prilepin’s team. Timofeev did not publicly declare his involvement in the election campaign before his arrest.