Russian PM Dismissed Minister Involved In Corruption Scandal

Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov has instructed first deputy railway minister Alexander Tselko to replace Nikolai Aksyonenko as head of the railway ministry. Nikolai Aksyonenko has urgently taken a leave from work, the government information department reported. This decision was adopted after the prime minister had met the minister's request for a leave after the scandal erupted. Two years ago, then president Boris Yeltsin intended to appoint Nikolai Aksyonenko prime minister. The Prosecutor General's Office has recently accused Aksyonenko of financial fraud. In case his guilt is acknowledged, he will receive a sentence. Notably, the railway ministry has declined to comment on the link between the so-called leave and the criminal case instigated against the minister. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General's Office information and PR department has confirmed that the railway minister faced charges in a new formulation on October 23. Now, he is being charged with power abuse, which envisages a 3-10-year sentence with no right to occupy certain posts and wage some activities for about three years. However, the scandalous minister's status has not changed after he left for a holiday. His charges remain valid and he has pledged not to leave the city, the Prosecutor's Office noted.