A deputy head of Russia’s youth affairs agency and a private university vice-rector have been detained over an alleged fraud scheme linked to government contracts for online courses. Authorities searched Synergy University in Moscow, Russia, and detained the vice-rector after investigators launched a theft and fraud investigation involving contracts worth 31.5 million rubles. Investigators allege that subcontractors did most of the work to build a professional development course for 13.5 million rubles, but the university management received full payment after accepting the work. Investigators believe about 18 million rubles may have been stolen or embezzled, and that the resulting courses proved unusable in practice. The investigation relates to two government contracts signed with Rosmolodezh in 2023 and 2024. The university says it completed the work on time and that its educational programs “actually worked”, citing more than 50,000 people who completed training and more than 36,000 who received professional development certificates. It also said it is cooperating with investigators and that the case was opened without targeting specific employees. The university did not comment on the vice-rector’s detention. The latest status is that the two detainees remain in custody as investigators continue their probe, and no charges are mentioned.