Alexei Navalny: Governor of Astrakhan Region buys two Mercedes cars worth 11.7 million roubles

Oppositionist Alexei Navalny drew the attention of readers of his blog to order the Government of the Astrakhan Region of two Mercedes cars worth 11.7 million roubles.

Alexei Navalny posted on his blog links to the documents on the website of public procurement, indicating that the State Budgetary Institution (SBI) Joint-Stock Company (JSC) "Transport Department of Government of Astrakhan Region" has decided to order two Mercedes BlueEFFICIENCY cars worth 5.5 million and 6.2 million roubles.

Meanwhile, the blogger states that Astrakhan Governor wants to purchase those cars. "Perhaps, Governor Zhilkin accidentally thought he was Governor of Monaco and not of the Astrakhan Region," Alexei Navalny writes ironically.

Alexei Navalny has created an Internet resource called "Sasha-Mercedes". On the Internet resource, the blogger posted a leaflet on bad roads and high rates for utilities, stylized as an appeal of Governor Zhilkin and the "United Russia" Party. The blogger calls on Astrakhan residents to help distributing leaflets in public places.

However, Alexander Zhilkin rejects accusations of intent to purchase two Mercedes cars for the amount of 11.7 million roubles. The Governor has reported that no budget money was allocated for buying the cars.

According to him, he considered the purchase of Mercedes car to be ineffective and earlier recommended the SBI JSC "Transport Department of Government of Astrakhan Region" to buy cars of lower class.

"With the money, it is better to buy, for example, more Skoda Octavia cars (manufactures in the city of Kaluga) and thus to renew a very old automobile fleet. I have recommended that, and I believe they will do that. Everything else is insinuation," the "Interfax" quotes Alexander Zhilkin as saying.