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Yaroslavl court extends arrest of former mayor accused of bribery

Yuri Lastochkin demanded a two-million rouble bribe from the director of a municipal company

© ITAR-TASS/Anna Solovyova

YAROSLAVL, December 20, 1:31 /ITAR-TASS/. The Kirov district court of Yaroslavl has extended the arrest of the former mayor of Rybinsk, accused of bribe-taking, to February 24, 2014.

Yuri Lastochkin demanded a two-million rouble bribe from the director of a municipal company, promising assistance in keeping his job, the investigator said. The money had to be passed through Lastochkin's aide Gennady Telegin.

On July 15, and October 22, Telegin passed part of the bribe to Lastochkin, worth one million roubles. Police detained Telegin as he was receiving the second part of the bribe on October 24.

"We'll challenge the ruling at a higher court," Lastochkin's lawyer Georgy Yudin said. At the Thursday hearing, the defense asked the court to release Lastochkin on a 10-million-rouble bail.

On October 26, the Kirov district court sanctioned two-month custody for Lastochkin. He was charged on October 30.

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