Arrest of Makfas Purchasing Director on Bribery Charges Highlights Kremlins Ongoing Anti-Corruption Campaign

The purchasing director of Russia’s state-owned pasta company, Makfa, was taken into custody on allegations of bribery, as reported by Russian news agencies on Thursday, citing unnamed law enforcement officials.

Vladlen Parshin was apprehended in the Chelyabinsk region, according to reports from Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti. Details regarding the investigation remain unclear, but Makfa’s press office expressed that Parshin’s arrest was a “significant surprise.”

Involvement in the arrest was attributed to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Investigative Committee, which is responsible for serious criminal cases, according to local news outlet 74.ru, relying on anonymous sources.

Parshin, who previously served as a police colonel, joined Makfa in the mid-2010s after concluding his career in law enforcement, as per 74.ru’s executive profile.

Last year, the Russian government nationalized Makfa Group’s assets as part of a broader initiative described as an expanding nationalization effort following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the owners of Makfa Group breached anti-corruption laws by operating the business while holding political positions.

Key stakeholders in Makfa include former Chelyabinsk region Governor Mikhail Yurevich, who is under investigation in a bribery case, and former regional lawmaker Vadim Belousov, who was convicted of bribery in 2022.

In 74.ru’s profile, Parshin is referred to as Yurevich’s “protégé.”

The same court in Chelyabinsk that mandated the nationalization of Makfa ruled last month to recover 19.7 billion rubles (approximately $224.8 million) in profits and dividends from the company’s former owners, spanning the years from 2002 to 2024.

The previous owners of Makfa are contesting the nationalization in court.