23:40, 23 March 2010

In Astrakhan Region, two persons accused of bribe-taking

In the Astrakhan Region, the investigation is under way in the case concerning the extortion of bribes by the officers of the first company of Special Battalion No. 1 of the traffic and patrol service (TPS) of the Board of Interior for the Astrakhan Region.

According to the Russian ICPO web site, at present 26 TPS officers have been charged with criminal offences including 15 persons detained in custody including company commander Kirsanov; the measure of restrained taken in respect to the remaining officers is the recognizance not to leave.

The investigation has rejected the company commander Kirsanov's theory that the money collected from the personnel to cover the company's day-to-day expenses due to the lack of financing. According to the accounting records the funds required for the service activities of the OBPDS-1 personnel were provided in full, writes Gazeta.Ru.