Ossetian official hides in Georgia
A major corruption scandal is unfolding in North Ossetia, Russian Federation: Larisa Tuganova, advisor to the head of the republic on social policy, has been arrested in absentia for two months on suspicion of embezzling 35 million rubles (around $357,000). She is reportedly hiding in Georgia.
According to the Interior Ministry, Tuganova is the organizer of a fraud scheme involving her former subordinates, officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
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The criminal investigation against Larisa Tuganova began after the September arrests of Social Policy Minister Alina Aidarova and two other ministry employees.
Investigators claim that Aidarova lobbied for a private company that secured all contracts and government tenders worth 35 million rubles. Tuganova is also implicated in the scheme. She reportedly learned of Aidarova’s arrest while vacationing in Turkey and chose not to return to Russia. According to Ossetian media, she is now hiding in Georgia:
“Tuganova found out about Aidarova’s detention while in Turkey. Realizing the consequences, she decided not to return to Russia and is currently in Tbilisi.”
Larisa Tuganova led the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in North Ossetia for 11 years, from 2004 to 2015, preceding Alina Aidarova. In 2015, she was removed from her position but returned to government in 2021 as Deputy Prime Minister under the new regional head, Sergey Menyaylo, overseeing social policy.
She held this role until December 2023, when she was dismissed but immediately appointed as the head advisor on social policy to the republic’s leader.
The official reason for her removal was not disclosed. However, some speculate it was related to her son:
“Tuganova was removed from her role as Deputy Prime Minister because her son left Russia after the start of the special military operation and sought political asylum in Canada.”
A law enforcement officer told JAMnews that Tuganova’s appointment as a state advisor came as a surprise to many:
“Menyaylo brought Tuganova back into government without considering her controversial reputation. The Ministry of Labor and Social Development was shaken by corruption scandals both during her leadership and after she handed over power to her protégé, Aidarova. It’s no surprise the investigative authorities got involved.”
He added that the prosecutor’s office now seems to be seriously targeting Sergey Menyaylo’s inner circle. The arrests of the state advisor and minister have dealt a significant blow to his reputation.
Amid the growing scandal, journalists linked to Tuganova tried to defend her, publishing a post claiming that “after learning she was wanted, Larisa Tuganova informed the investigators of her location and promised to appear for questioning upon her return.”
Meanwhile, other Telegram channels began exposing the connections between certain local journalists and Tuganova, recalling how these journalists praised Menyaylo’s controversial decision to reinstate the disgraced official. They argued that the praise was motivated by personal benefits the journalists received from Tuganova.
Notably, Larisa Tuganova is a long-standing figure in North Ossetia’s bureaucratic apparatus, having begun her public service career in the 1990s.
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