Interfax: Russians doubt Oboronservice suspects will stand trial – poll

MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) – Most Russians (74%) see no serious chance to investigate corruption at Oboronservice, Levada Center sociologists said.

Some 41% of 1,603 respondents polled in 45 regions on January 24-27 presumed that Oboronservice and similar cases would be soft-pedaled.

A third (33%) said scapegoats would be punished and senior officials would skip punishment, and only 11% expected the suspects to stand trial.

An inquiry into multibillion ruble thefts at the Russian Defense Ministry’s Oboronservice became known in October 2012. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was removed from office soon after that.

Some 44% of the respondents linked Serdyukov’s resignation to his involvement in military property machinations. Twenty-nine percent opined that Serdyukov lost his position because his military reform was destroying the Armed Forces and undermining the country’s defense capacity.

Nine percent said Serdyukov was dismissed because he cheated on his wife, and 6% suggested another influential person might have wanted to take his position.

Five percent said the military reform carried out by Serdyukov was needed by the country but infringed upon the interests of generals, who insisted on his dismissal.

Another five percent presumed that Serdyukov was not personally involved in the machinations but his entourage was stealing military property. An opinion that Serdyukov was hindering the embezzlement of the defense budget and money assigned for defense orders was expressed by 4% of the respondents.