Justice · Youth-training contractsSynergy University fraud case: Two officials under home arrestAired November 14, 2026 at 12:15 PM UTCWatchTranscript0:00Synergy University fraud case: two officials under home arrest.0:07A court has put a youth agency deputy chief under home arrest over public training0:11funds.0:11Synergy University's vice rector is under home arrest too, while investigators0:15suspect18 million rubles were diverted.0:17The university and the agency both say the training was delivered.0:20The unresolved issue is whether public money bought everything the contracts0:23required, or whether officials diverted funds despite accepting the work.0:27Investigators searched Synergy and seized documents in an operation spanning Moscow0:31and the surrounding region.0:32The case concerns contracts with Rosmalodes, Russia's Federal Agency for Youth0:36Affairs, for online professional training and support for an educational platform.0:40The programs were intended for specialists working with young people to prevent0:44harmful social behavior.0:45Synergy is one of Russia's largest private universities.0:48Its defense is that the customer received, inspected, and accepted the work.0:52Investigators are questioning how that work was performed and approved.0:55Mikhail Arofiev, Synergy's Vice, Rector for Regional Development, denies wrongdoing.1:00Denise Asherov is the youth agency's state secretary and deputy head.1:04Investigators are examining Ashirov's possible involvement in organizing the1:07contract's delivery, agreeing the results and accepting the work.1:11Asherov has been deputy head since two thousand and twenty-two.1:14He previously led the Higher Education Ministry's Youth, Policy and Social Projects1:18Department.1:19Earlier, he headed the Moscow headquarters of the Young Guard of United Russia and1:22party chairman Dmitry Medvedev's public reception office.1:25He now faces an especially large-scale fraud charge carrying up to ten years in1:29prison if convicted.1:30Moscow's Perskoy District Court rejected investigators' request to hold Asherov in a1:34remand facility.1:35It placed him under home arrest through December10 instead.1:38He remains under restrictions while the fraud investigation continues, and the court1:41hasn't decided his guilt.1:43The court made that decision on November13 after the custody application had been1:47awaiting a hearing earlier that evening.1:48Aropiev is also now under home arrest.1:51His precise detention and hearing dates remain unclear.1:54With conflicting dates attached to the searches and his move out of temporary1:57detention.1:58Investigators suspect management stole or misappropriated18 million rubles.2:03Their allegation puts the contract at thirty one point five million rubles and says2:07subcontractors performed most of the work for thirteen point five million.2:11The university then received the full payment after acceptance.2:15That difference in spending needs to be traced through the work, costs, and payments2:18before it can prove theft.2:20Descriptions of nearly twenty million rubles or tens of millions refer to the same2:24suspected diversion.2:25They shouldn't be added together as separate losses.2:27The two thousand and twenty-three contract has two conflicting price tags.2:30The allegation uses thirty, one point five million rubles.2:33Synergy statement gives thirty one point two million.2:36That leaves the financial starting point unresolved, as well as the investigator's2:40claim about what happened to the money.2:41Synergy values the second contract from two thousand and twenty-four at nine point2:45three million rubles.2:46It gives a combined value of forty point five million for both agreements.2:49That's the amount of business under examination.2:52The suspected eighteen million ruble diversion comes from the separate allegation2:56about the first contract.2:57Subscribe to this channel to follow the contract investigation and the next custody3:01decision.3:01Investigators also alleged the courses were unusable in practice.3:05The Russian Academy of Education reportedly assessed Synergy submissions as failing3:09to match the technical requirements and found the project price artificially3:12inflated.3:12Those conclusions form part of the allegations.3:15Synergy says it fulfilled every obligation on time.3:18It says the customer examined the results and authorized representatives signed the3:21acceptance documents.3:23Its November13 statement also offered figures for how many people actually used the3:26programs by the end of2024 .3:28Synergy says more than100 did zero people registered, more than fifty zero completed3:33training, and more than thirty-six zero received professional development3:36certificates.3:37These figures measure different stages of participation.3:40They show the scale Synergy claims while leaving the disputed contract requirements3:43to be tested.3:44The university says the platform operated until August one, two thousand3:48twenty-five, as its contract required.3:50It places the training within government prevention measures approved in June2023.3:54It says professional development programs on prevention also remain in the3:58government's measures for two thousand and twenty-six through two thousand and4:00thirty.4:01Rosmalodes itself defends the delivery.4:04In its November14 response, the agency said all contracted services were supplied in4:09full and more than fifty.4:10Zero people completed training.4:12Its defense directly challenges an investigation examining the possible role of its4:16own deputy chief.4:17The agency says procurement followed the law and was posted on the National4:21Procurement Portal.4:22It says the contracts were awarded through open competition, and it's assisting law4:26enforcement.4:26Synergy has offered a more detailed defense of how it won the work.4:30Synergy says seven organizations competed in an open electronic tender.4:34It says the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service found no violations in assessing its4:37application or choosing the winner.4:39The university also says the customer set the technical requirements and starting4:43prices.4:44Synergy said on November13 that the case concerned the underlying events, and no4:48university employee had been charged.4:50Ashirov works for the agency and faces a formal fraud accusation.4:54Arofiv's precise formal charge is still unclear.4:57His denial stands alongside the allegations against him.5:00Synergy says teaching and research continue on schedule, with its obligations to5:04students, lecturers, and partners being fulfilled.5:07It says it is supplying requested documents, materials, and employee explanations,5:10and expects an objective investigation to confirm that it broke no law.5:14The university says it will otherwise avoid discussing the investigation's progress5:17until it's complete.5:18Signed acceptance documents and participation figures support its defense.5:22But the financial allegation turns on what was promised, what was delivered, and5:25where the payments went.5:26The contracts, payment trail, and technical assessment still need to resolve that5:30dispute.5:30The competing contract prices and the calculation behind the alleged18 million ruble5:34loss remain unexplained.5:36Asherov's current home arrest term runs through December10.5:39The limit of that custody order rather than a trial or verdict date.Story timelineHeyDex
