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Investigation Committee brings bribery charges against Yaroslavl mayor

Police have already seized 35 million roubles which possible belong to Urlashov

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 4 (Itar-Tass) - Investigators brought charges of attempted bribe-taking against Yaroslavl mayor Yevgeny Urlashov, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

"Today, Yevgeny Urlashov, his deputy Dmitry Donskov, head of the Town Hall agency for municipal procurements Maxim Poikalainen, and mayor's advisor Alexei Lopatin were charged with attempted taking of a large bribe in collusion and extortion. Andrei Zakharov was charged with attempted mediation in bribery," the SK said.

The investigators asked the court to place all the five suspects under arrest.

Searches are underway. Police have already seized 35 million roubles which possible belong to Urlashov, according to Markin.

The SK said Yaroslavl mayor Yevgeny Urlashov and his subordinates had extorted a 14-milion-rouble bribe from the director of a commercial firm in the period from December 2012 through July 2013. The bribe had to be paid from the sum transferred to the company for completed works. If he refused, they threatened him with not paying the money for the works completed under the contract.

Fourteen million roubles were handed over to the intermediary who had to pass it on to the officials.

"As we assumed, it is not the only episode of illegal activity by the Yarsolavl mayor. The investigators are checking the materials on Mr Urlashov's receiving the first tranche of a multi-million-rouble bribe. The materials available to the investigation contain the evidence of Urlashov's personally taking the bribe," Markin said.

The decision on opening a criminal case over this fact is to be made on Friday, July 5.

"After our message to citizens to report facts of extortion by the suspects, we began to receive the first statements," the spokesman said. He promised that all the complaints would be checked.

The number of episodes in the criminal case may increase, Markin added.

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