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Police looking into alleged foreign funding of opposition figurehead's mayoral campaign

Some of the claims confirmed, Prosecution spokesman says

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Artiom Geodakyan

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Artiom Geodakyan

MOSCOW, August 12 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Interior Ministry has begun to examine the materials of the Prosecutor General's Office /PGO/ alleging foreign funding of Opposition activist Alexei Navalny's election campaign. Navaly is running for Moscow mayor.

"The Interior Ministry has received materials regarding foreign funding of A. Navalny's election campaign," Interior Ministry spokesman Andrei Pilipchuk said on Monday. "Interior Ministry specialists have begun to examine them."

Earlier on Monday, prosecutors said a criminal case might be opened over foreign funding of Navalny's campaign.

"The Prosecutor General’s Office is running a check following an inquiry submitted by the leader of the parliamentary Liberal Democratic Party faction Vladimir Zhirinovsky regarding violation of the current legislation by Alexei Navalny in the course of Moscow mayoral campaign. At this stage, part of Zhirinovsky's claims have been confirmed," the PGO said.

Under the law, a candidate’s election fund is comprised of his own money and contributions from citizens and legal entities. Anonymous contributions and foreign funding are illegal.

"It has been ascertained that money was donated to Navalny and members of his election headquarters Lyaskin, Jankauskas and Ashurkov through the Yandex money payment system by more than 300 foreign legal entities and private citizens, as well as anonymous contributors from 46 countries including United States, Finland, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Canada; it total, 347 foreign IP-addresses," a PGO official said.

The PGO is continuing the investigation into Zhirinovsky's inquiry, he added.

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