Moscow ex-deputy mayor charged with bribery
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Russia's Investigative Committee said Thursday that former Deputy Moscow Mayor Alexander Ryabinin will be charged with bribery.
"Criminal charges will be brought against Ryabinin shortly," said spokesman for the committee Vladimir Markin as quoted by the Interfax news agency.
The charged politician will also face travel restrictions, said Markin.
A criminal case on Ryabinin was started in March 2010, but then Moscow Court closed the case allowing him to leave the country without any restrictions.
Later the ex-official was recharged with "accepting a large scale bribe."
Ryabinin said earlier that reports on his escape were part of a campaign against former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, sacked by President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday due to "loss of confidence."
Luzhkov was also accused of corruption links and indifference during the unusual weather conditions this summer.
Luzhkov then quit the ruling United Russia party but insisted that he would not leave politics.
On Wednesday there were reports saying that the former Moscow mayor would appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the presidential decree on his dismissal, which were denied by Luzhkov himself during a night TV interview.
Political experts believed the sack of Luzhkov was a real sign of fight against corruption as he was also accused of being the master of the city, not its manager.
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