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Krasnoyarsk regional minister suspended during investigation

The court took into consideration the investigators' arguments that Pashkov was accused of a grave corruption crime committed with the use of his official position

KRASNOYARSK, April 20 (Itar-Tass) —— Krasnoyarsk's Zheleznodorozhny district court on Friday satisfied the investigators' request to suspend the Krasnoyarsk Region's Industry and Energy Minister Denis Pashkov, a source at the Russian Investigative Committee's regional department said.

The court took into consideration the investigators' arguments that Pashkov was accused of a grave corruption crime committed with the use of his official position.

Most of the witnesses in the case are directly dependent on the minister, and among the persons involved in the preparation of documents to receive state subsidies for the Sibtyazhmash company are current employees of the regional Industry and Energy Ministry, the source explained.

In this connection, the court took the decision to suspend the minister for the period of the investigation,

The inquiry is underway to establish the circumstances of the crime.

The charge of massive fraud was brought against Pashkov on April 16 over the fact of embezzlement of 29 million roubles provided for the Sibtyazhmash heavy machine building plant.

The next day, Governor Lev Kuznetsov said he would not suspend the minister until a court took a corresponding decision. If the court finds reasons to suspend Pashkov, the decision will be taken. "Until it is done, I intend to be guided by the principle of the innocence presumption," the governor said.