Already on May 2, 1918, Moscow Revtribunal heard the case of four members of the Investigative Committee accused of bribery and blackmailing.[1][2][3] On May 8, 1918, the "Decree on Bribery" was signed by Lenin, which punished both givers and takers.[4][5]
In February 1920, a special commission, Rabkrin (People's Commissariat of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection) was set to combat two major plagues, inefficiency and corruption at all levels of administration.[a]
Corruption at highest levels had grown considerably during Brezhnev's tenure had become a major problem to the Soviet Union's economic development by the 1980s.[citation needed] When Andropov came to power, he initiated a nationwide anti-corruption campaign.[citation needed]
Uzbek cotton scandal; investigations continued well into the late 1980s, during Breshnev's, Andropov's and Gorbachev's times
Andropov
Yeliseyevsky [ru] case (Russian: Елисеевское дело, also known as the Mosprodtorg case, Russian: дела Моспродторга); large-scale theft/misappropriation of foodstuff goods and bribery[6]
Technopromexport case ended in executions of its director Yuri P. Smelyakov and his deputy V.A. Pavlov and long prison terms for several other persons.[7] Among accusations was a large kickback while contracting the works at the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant in Finland.[8]
Brezhnev's family, Yuri Brezhnev, Galina Brezhneva and Yuri Churbanov, were investigated for corruption during Mikhail Gorbachev's administration.[9] Churbanov was sentenced to twelve years in prison on charges of large-scale embezzlement and corruption in the context of the Uzbek cotton scandal. By December 1988, Churbanov had been stripped of all state honours, and sent to a labour camp. Galina, along with the rest of Brezhnev's family, lost all their state privileges.
1990-1993: ANT case about alleged smuggling of T-72 tanks abroad
