MOSCOW, November 28 (RIA Novosti) – The former commander of Russia’s famed Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics team, Lt. Col. Valery Morozov, has been charged with bribery and extortion, military investigators told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
“He [Morozov] is now a defendant in a criminal case that involves extorting money from a subordinate,” said Col. Gen. Alexander Sorochkin, the head of the Main Military Investigative Directorate.
According to investigators, Morozov has been receiving 5,000 rubles ($160) monthly for allowing a subordinate to set up a “flexible” work schedule or to skip duty altogether. They claim to have undeniable proof of his guilt.
“Without absolute proof, we would have never opened a criminal case or charged him with this crime,” Sorochkin said.
The Russian Defense Ministry discharged Morozov in October for “breach of contract,” without waiting for the results of the investigation.
The colonel has appealed his discharge in court.
The Swifts have been performing since May 1991, when they first flew precise formation aerobatics in their Mig-29 jets.
