MOSCOW (AP) " A Russian governor has been arrested on charges of taking a 400,000-euro ($454,000) bribe, the nation's top investigative agency said Friday.
Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said that Kirov regional Gov. Nikita Belykh was caught red-handed while accepting the money in a Moscow restaurant.
Belykh has worked as the governor of the industrial region east of Moscow since 2009. Prior to his appointment, he served as the leader of the Union of Right Forces, a liberal party " a track record untypical among Russia's provincial leaders.
Markin insisted that Belykh's case has nothing to do with politics. He said the 41-year-old is suspected of accepting the bribe in exchange for preferences to a local businessman.
The Investigative Committee posted images of Belykh at a table with piles of euro notes apparently marked by police in front of him. Russian state TV stations showed footage of him in handcuffs being escorted by police officers.