Kamchatka leaders under prosecution

The Prosecutor's Office of the Kamchatka region has opened a criminal case today into the wrongdoings of its Governor Mikhail Mashkovtsev and his deputy Vladislav Skvortsov. According to Deputy Prosecutor General for the Far Eastern federal district Konstantin Chaika, these officials are being charged with misappropriation of funds allocated for the heating arrangements last year.

According to the checks, the two officials deprived the federal and regional budgets of over 140 mln roubles (up to $4.7 mln). Further investigation is to give a legal appraisal of these actions and determine the exact sum of the fraud, Chaika explained. He emphasised that the misappropriation was due to the "negligence" of the governor and his deputy.

On Monday, Vice Governor Vladislav Skvorstov was interrogated as a suspect and had to give a pledge not to leave the country. The governor, too, is due to sign the same document.