The chairman of the Stavropol Territory Public Chamber, Sergei Popov, was present at the rally, but claimed that his presence was accidental.
“I was just passing by,” Popov told RIA Novosti, “but I would like to say that this day is a holiday for Stavropol and all its residents because Stavropol’s city manager Igor Bestuzhy was detained.” Popov suggested that the members of the City Duma who appointed Bestuzhy as mayor should volunteer their resignations. He added that “It’s now up to the legislature to decide whether they should dissolve or not,” he said. Bestuzhy served as the property minister for the Stavropol region in 2008, and was appointed mayor of Stavropol in May 2011.
Russian courts recently slapped the highest yet fine for bribery, US$10 million, after a former district head in Tatarstan requested bribes from businessmen seeking to develop real estate
