Vladislav Loginov has been taken into custody in Krasnoyarsk over allegations that he improperly awarded city contracts

Russian authorities have arrested the mayor of Krasnoyarsk on charges of large-scale bribery. The head of the Siberian city of more than a million people stands accused of corruption in his awarding of municipal construction contracts.

Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday that Loginov is suspected of receiving more than $2.2 million in bribes - both in cash and services - between 2018 and 2024. The payments issued when he served as deputy mayor and then mayor were allegedly made in return for steering construction contracts to a specific commercial entity. Investigators have asked the court to hold him in pretrial detention. His detention came one day after Krasnoyarsk commemorated its 397th anniversary.

In February, regional investigators reported arresting Artur Arutyunyan, an advisor to the mayor, on charges of abuse of power. He is accused of conspiring with others to secure lucrative deals with an asphalt company where Loginov previously served as commercial director.

Some local media outlets have linked Loginov's arrest to that separate investigation. Independent city council member Vyacheslav Dyukov, a known critic of Loginov, called the news "expected" and part of an "inevitable" process to eliminate corruption in the local government. In March, Dyukov claimed at least 10 individuals - many of them current officials - were prepared to testify against the mayor.

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Loginov, 59, is a native of Krasnoyarsk Region who held leadership roles at both public and private road construction firms during the 2000s, before starting a public sector career. In 2017 he was appointed deputy mayor, and in 2022 the city council elected him mayor.

(RT.com)