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Khabarovsk governor named as mastermind of murder-for-hire killings of entrepreneurs

Sergei Furgal, the governor of Russia’s Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region, was detained near his house in the region’s administrative center of Khabarovsk, his press service informed earlier on Thursday

MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. Suspects accused of murders of entrepreneurs in Russia’s Far East have given statements against Governor of the Khabarovsk Region Sergei Furgal, naming him as an organizer of the crimes, Russian Investigative Council Spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko told reporters on Thursday.

"During the preliminary investigation, we have established perpetrators of a series of crimes and one of the crimes’ organizers. As a result of the right investigative tactics, the co-conspirators have given statements against Sergei Furgal, naming him as an organizer of all these crimes," she said. The case also involves witness and victim statements. "We have verified these statements during the investigation, collecting sufficient evidence to detain the governor of the Khabarovsk Region," Petrenko noted.

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The criminal case against Furgal comes as a result of the work of investigators on solving the crimes committed in 2004-2005 on the territory of the Khabarovsk and Amur Regions against local entrepreneurs, the spokesperson added.

A source in the law enforcement told TASS that a criminal case under Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code (Founding a criminal organization) might be opened. The source added that Furgal is allegedly behind the murders of two business competitors and the attempted assassination of an entrepreneur from the Amur Region. "These crimes have been committed by a group of persons in collusion, they involve assault, extortion and gang violence," the source said, adding that a killer was hired to conduct those crimes. In 2004, entrepreneur Yevgeny Zorya was shot in Khabarovsk on the street. In 2005, businessman Oleg Bulatov was shot.

Sergei Furgal, the governor of Russia’s Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region, was detained near his house in the region’s administrative center of Khabarovsk, his press service informed earlier on Thursday. He has been transported to Moscow for questioning.

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