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Kirov region governor answers investigator's questions in embezzlement case

On Wednesday, the governor visited the Yuryansky district which had commissioned two gas boiler houses

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

KIROV, January 30 (Itar-Tass) - Kirov region governor Nikita Belykh said he has answered all the questions in the case over the theft of 100 million roubles during the privatization of a 25-percent municipal stake in the Urzhum distillery.

"The investigators behaved correctly; it was a quiet talk we had. Everything went well. I answered all the questions the investigators were interested, and then continued my work according to schedule," Belykh told reporters.

On Wednesday, the governor visited the Yuryansky district which had commissioned two gas boiler houses. The governor said he would keep his schedule and that on January 31, he would go to Moscow as planned.

Belykh was questioned as a witness. Criminal proceedings were opened back on December 18, under penal code Article 160, Part 4 /misappropriation of squandering in an especially large amount by an organized group/. The SK stated than that it would check for involvement in the crime all the officials regardless of their rank, up to the regional governor, as well as the governor's former aide Alexei Navalny, who the investigator said had attempted to become a member of the Urzhum distillery board.

Police searched the governor's office on January 29.

According to the investigators, the shares were acquired by the Partner company. Its director general Igor Burkov asked appraiser of Technical Inventory Bureau /BTI/, Kirov branch, Marianna Popova to understate the value of property in an expert conclusion, in a deal brokered by Andrei Devyatyarov. The conclusion was submitted to the Kirov region's state property department to calculate the price of a package of shares at 98.37 million roubles. The average market value of this property amounts to at least 197 million roubles," the SK said.

On 24, police detained, as suspects, Partner director general Igor Burkov, intermediary Andrei Devyatyerov and BTI appraiser Marianna Popova. Former director of the state property department Konstantin Arzamastsev is on the wanted list.

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