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Vladivostok Mayor Vladimir Nikolayev was put under arrest by the court’s ruling on March 7 in Vladivostok, a day after he was detained in Moscow by the federal law enforcement bodies. Nikolayev is facing charges of abuse of office and embezzlement.

The Leninsky District Court in Vladivostok satisfied Primorye’s prosecutor’s appeal to arrest Nikolayev. A senior aide to Primorye’s prosecutor Irina Nomokonova said that additional abuse of office charges had been filed against Nikolayev.

Prosecutors are investigating Nikolayev for allegedly giving land to unknown individuals for private purposes. Besides, he is accused of misspending the city’s funds on personal security guards and private flights. Nikolayev denied all allegations but the court dismissed him from his post last week.

Nikolayev was elected Vladivostok mayor in 2004 and his previous criminal records did not bother the officials. Nikolayev, who was allegedly known in criminal circles under the nickname Winnie the Pooh, was arrested in 1998 and faced charges for making threats, hooliganism and extortion. He was freed a year later under an amnesty.


See related stories at:
http://vn.vladnews.ru/issue559/Special_reports/Vladivostok_Mayor_detained_in_Moscow
http://vn.vladnews.ru/issue559/Special_reports/Dismissed_Vladivostok_mayor_signs_back_to_office
http://vn.vladnews.ru/issue558/Special_reports/Prosecutors_ink_Nikolayevs_each_move
http://vn.vladnews.ru/issue558/Special_reports/Vladivostok_Mayor_temporarily_dismissed