Former mayor of Ingushetia’s capital charged with abuse of power

The Prosecutor’s Office of Ingushetia has submitted a criminal case against the former mayor of Magas, Usman Aushev, on charges of abuse of power resulting in financial damage estimated at  ₽3.3 million ($42,000).

According to the investigation, shortly before his resignation in early 2023, Aushev signed contracts for the repair and replacement of external power supply networks in the Ingushetian capital with the company Zamok-5 at significantly inflated prices. Initially, the damage was estimated at ₽1.99 million ($24,000), but the final indictment increased the figure to ₽3.3 million  ($42,000).

Aushev is being investigated on charges of abuse of official power causing significant harm. The offence carries a potential prison sentence of 3–10 years. Authorities also reported that the general director of the contracting company is already on trial on charges of embezzling public funds.

Aushev was appointed as acting mayor of Magas in June 2020 and formally elected to the position by the city council in February 2021. In August 2022, eight administrative cases were pressed against the city’s administration for violations of Russia’s public procurement regulations over several tenders, including those related to urban landscaping. Aushev was fined at the time.

In spring 2024, Aushev was declared wanted on a federal level. He was arrested in the Chechen capital of Grozny in September 2024. In March 2025, his defence team secured a more lenient pre-trial measure, and he was transferred to house arrest. This measure was extended until 17 June.

Case files state that in January 2023, Aushev signed the contracts with Zamok-5, a company managed by an acquaintance, to replace the city’s external electrical infrastructure.

In October 2022, a petition calling for Aushev’s resignation was published on the platform change.org. The authors of the petition claimed the city’s development had stagnated, sanitation issues remained unresolved, and they criticised a rapid increase in market stalls. The petition was supported by residents, many of whom complained about foul smells, unmanaged waste, and a lack of urban improvement.

Ingushetia has been among the Russian regions frequently involved in corruption scandals and criminal proceedings against public officials. In recent years, local officials and public figures have regularly faced charges of abuse of power, procurement violations, and even assisting extremist groups.

In April, the Supreme Court of Ingushetia ordered that Madina Khutieva, the chief physician of the Republican Clinical Perinatal Centre in Nazran, remain in custody until the end of May. Alongside existing charges of large-scale fraud, she now faces accusations of abuse of power. The criminal prosecution has been fuelled in part by a wave of complaints about the standard of medical care and a series of deaths of mothers and newborns at the facility she headed.

Head of Ingushetian perinatal centre faces new charges following maternity deaths

In addition to fraud charges, Madina Khutieva has now been accused of abuse of official authority.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova