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Putin can dismiss Kirov region governor before court ruling — Kremlin

According to the Kremlin spokesman, Putin does not need to wait for the court's ruling to dismiss the Kirov region's governor, earlier detained in Moscow while getting a €400,000 bribe

Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. The Russian president should not necessarily wait for a court decision to dismiss Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh, but so far no decision has been made.

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Investigative committee: Kirov region’s governor detained when taking 150,000 euros bribe

"It’s absolutely unnecessary. Of course, there are various wordings that make it possible for the head of state to dismiss the current head of the region," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

He added though that "what (wording) will be chosen by the president and whether it will be chosen at all is his decision, and so far it has not been made."

"The president has not made any personnel decisions yet. When and if it is made, we will inform you accordingly," Peskov added.

Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh was detained in a Moscow restaurant while getting a 400,000-euro bribe. The Russian Investigative Committee’s special investigations department opened a criminal case against Belykh under part six of article 290 of the Criminal Code (bribe-taking). Investigators believe that Belykh and the authorities of the Kirov Region provided patronage to local businesses, including a local ski factory and a forest management company. On June 25, Moscow’s Basmanny district court remanded the governor in custody for two months.

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