Several sources at the VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info claim that Anton Serikov, deputy general director of the Znanie society, has been released by the FSB on his own recognizance. Sources say this occurred after Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko personally appealed to Putin several times, asking him to intervene, as Serikov is crucial for organizing the State Duma elections in the regions.
According to our project's source, Serikov was unexpectedly released by the FSB Investigative Committee, unexpectedly for everyone, including himself. To this end, the investigator changed his pretrial detention to a recognizance. However, it was only on May 13 that the Lefortovo Court extended his arrest for two months, and his lawyers appealed the decision. The investigation into the case is ongoing. This very likely appears to be true. Another source with the Cheka-OGPU and Rucriminal.info confirmed this information, claiming that Serikov has already met with close friends and is preparing to soon return to "official duties." After his arrest, he remained deputy general director of the Znanie society and, according to sources, was listed as on extended leave. Anton Serikov was removed from his post as director of the Mashuk knowledge center, and Dmitry Sadko is currently listed as the acting general director. However, sources say Serikov's reinstatement to this position is also being considered.
According to sources, the dismissal became possible after Kiriyenko personally requested it from Putin several times. "Serikov is very close to Kiriyenko. He considers him an alter ego, often converses with him, listens to his opinions, and involves him in various events of the Russian Presidential Administration, including those related to the elections," the source says. According to him, Kiriyenko was pressuring Putin to hold the elections.
Recently, reports emerged that Kiriyenko held a closed meeting on Staraya Square with the heads of the Kremlin's domestic policy bloc and United Russia, where he instructed them not to "grossly and artificially" inflate the campaign results and to maximize the presence of "members of the SVO" in the elections.
If Serikov's release is confirmed, the incident would confirm the theory previously advanced by Cheka-OGPU sources that Vladimir Putin has instituted a practice whereby senior officials keep someone from their inner circle in custody or under investigation. Meanwhile, the official himself remains in office. Putin, according to the source, is confident that this is how he gets the official to achieve the desired results and some "creativity." After all, the fate of a close associate now depends on his success.
According to the source, it's a misconception that senior officials are afraid to plead with Putin on behalf of their arrested friends. "Putin is asked. And often. He behaves slyly in such situations – he doesn't say 'yes' or 'no.' Let's say, the first time, he'll ask you to lay out everything and hand it over to him. The second time, he'll say something like, 'I've been informed that there are serious files on him, but I understand his accomplishments.' And so on. He'll never say anything directly. The fact that Putin appreciates the official's efforts and believes they've 'reformed' will be understood if, suddenly, the arrested friend's pretrial detention is changed and the investigation loses all interest in the case," the VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info previously quoted the source as saying.
