This article by Orkhan Dzhemal for Novaya Gazeta details systemic corruption and bribery within the investigation of the 'Karachay conspiracy' linked to the 1999 Russian apartment bombings. The narrative centers on lawyer Andrei Shakhnazarov, who admitted to acting as a middleman for bribes paid to FSB or police investigators to secure the release of suspects. Notably, the document claims that Albert Dekkushev, a key figure later convicted in the bombings, was among those released for a relatively small sum ($2,000). The text alleges that senior investigator Igor Tkachev oversaw the team, while investigators 'T...' and 'S...' acted as intermediaries for extortion. Shakhnazarov asserts that several individuals received long prison sentences primarily because their families could not afford the bribe demands, rather than based on the evidence against them.