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Acting deputy head of Siberia’s Khakassia region detained for bribery

As the investigators say, Sergei Novikov demanded a bribe of no less than $185,000

MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Acting deputy head of Siberia's Khakassia region Sergei Novikov has been detained for bribery, Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Saturday.

"The investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee’s Main Investigation Department for the Krasnoyarsk Region and the Republic of Khakassia have opened a criminal case against acting deputy head of the Republic of Khakassia Sergei Novikov. He was detained red-handed. The investigation intends to request a court of law to order to take him into custody as a measure of restraint," the spokeswoman said

In December 2019, a state contract worth over 480 million rubles ($7.3 million) was signed between the republican Capital Construction Company and a contractual organization to build the second stage of the accommodation block of the Tuimsky psychoneurologic boarding facility as part of implementing the national project.

As the investigators say, Novikov demanded a bribe of no less than 12 million rubles ($185,000) from a representative of the contractor for his patronage in the company’s activities and for his assistance in resolving the issue of signing the contract, accepting works and timely transferring funds for the work done.

"On April 17, 2020, upon his personal encounter with the contractor’s representative in Abakan, Novikov received a bribe of 2 million rubles ($27,000) from him as a partial money reward," the spokeswoman said.

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