Nikita Belykh's case was sent to court

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation sent to the Presnensky District Court of Moscow a case against the former governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh, who is accused of taking bribes totaling 600 thousand euros.

According to investigators, the money was intended to be included in the list of priority investment projects of the Novovyatsky Ski Plant and the Kirovles Forestry Management Company ( connected with the company of the same name from the case of Alexei Navalny and Pyotr Ofitserov) and "making decisions that are beneficial for them."

• The governor of the Kirov region, Nikita Belykh, was detained in the summer of 2016 in Moscow - according to the Investigative Committee, this happened in a restaurant while receiving part of the bribe. Initially, the investigation spoke about a bribe in the amount of 400 thousand euros, but in March 2017, an episode appeared in the case about another bribe in the amount of 200 thousand euros. After his arrest, Belykh was dismissed from his post as governor.
• Belykh's money was handed over by the owner of the Novovyatsky ski plant, Yuri Zyudheimer. The businessman told Reuters that the governor had "pushed him into a corner" with reminders of loans and collateral, as well as demands to contribute money "for the election." The agency claimed that it was a typical for Russian regions collection of money from entrepreneurs to support United Russia and infrastructure projects.
• Belykh categorically denies his guilt. At the court hearing on choosing a preventive measure, the investigator said that he did not consider the money received a bribe, since it was intended "for the needs of Kirov."
• Nikita Belykh has been in jail for over a year. During his imprisonment, his health deteriorated; He came to the court session in March with a cane, which he had not used before his arrest.