The mayor of Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok is to face charges of misusing public funds to the sum of more than 160 million rubles ($2.3 million), the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.
Igor Pushkaryov is accused of abusing his authority to mastermind a large-scale trade deal between the local government and building supply company Vostokcement, headed by his close relatives.
The overpriced building materials bought from Vostokcement with government money gave Pushkaryov 45 million rubles ($670,000) of pure profit, said Russian Investigative Committee representative Vladimir Markin.
Pushkaryov was detained on Wednesday and charged with abuse of power and bribery, RIA Novosti reported, citing an unidentified source within the Russian Investigative Committee.
The mayor's press-service denied media reports of Pushkaryov's detention, maintaining that the mayor was still at work, the Interfax news agency reported earlier on Wednesday.
