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Court arrests Stavropol mayor

Markin said Bestuzhy used his aide Kozlov to demand 50 million rubles

MOSCOW, February 3 (Itar-Tass) —— A court ruled on Thursday to arrest the mayor of the southern Russian city of Stavropol, Igor Bestuzhy, 51, who is suspected of extorting a multi-million bribe for leasing municipal land.

“Upon a request of investigators the court ruled to place him in custody,” Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said and called on all businessmen who suffered from the actions of the mayor to report the wrongdoings.

Markin said Bestuzhy used his aide Kozlov to demand 50 million rubles (over 1.6 million US dollars) from a businessman for leasing five hectares of municipal land for the construction of a sport facility. “Bestuzhy did not get the money as his accomplices were caught red-handed while receiving the bribe,” Markin said adding one of the accomplices confessed Bestuzhy was the beneficiary.

In 2008 Bestuzhy was the property minister of Stavropol region and became the mayor of Stavropol in May 2011.

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