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Putin Sacks Sakhalin Region Governor Charged With Bribery


Russian President Vladimir Putin fired the longtime governor of the Far Eastern region of Sakhalin on March 25, three weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of bribetaking and flown to Moscow in handcuffs.

Putin signed a decree dismissing Aleksandr Khoroshavin "due to the loss of trust and confidence."

Khoroshavin, 55, had governed the remote Sakhalin region since 2007.

He was charged earlier this month taking some $5.6 million in bribes from a company in Sakhalin, Energostroi.

Investigators say Khoroshavin demanded a 6 percent kickback on proceeds from an Energostroi contract in exchange for unspecified "actions in favor of Energostroi."

He is being held in pretrial detention and could be sentenced to 15 years in prison if convicted.

An associate, Andrei Ikramov, was charged as the middleman in the alleged bribery scheme.

With reporting by RIA and Interfax
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