Russian Corruption

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 August 1911, Page 4

Russian Corruption

AMAZING CHAKGICS AGAINST OFFICIALS.

The "trial of the <>(>" as ,it is popularly ealter], reve.als an astounding state ol' corruption in the Moscow Supply Department of the Russian army. Of the members of tlio Moscow Inteiulancy between 1904 and 1[)](), two generals, twenty-one colonels, and twenty-eight captains, l)(\sklcs four couiHd'lior.s of State, are charged with systematic extortion dishonesty, and bribe-taking. The majority of the accused are in uniform, and wear various orders and decorations. 'I he sums allege;! to have been illicitly obtained by them range downwards from £27,000, Wihiieh is said to have- been the share of one of the members of the receiving committee of the IntendMiey. It is calculated l that one firm alone in the course of twenty-five years has paid £2,000,000 in bribes to the members of the Moscow Supply Department. One of the counts of the indictment is that the department accepted li'oni the contractors hoots of such wretched quality that the soldiers could not wear them, and sold them lor what they would fetch, the boors eventually found their way back to the contractors, who delivered them again to the department. Pile soldiers were obliged to sell t-lneir food in order to procure boots for themselves. ft is declared that clerks in the department- deliberately spoiled samples of any firm wihich did not give them bribes.