STAVROPOL, March 28 - RAPSI. Stavropol City Manager Igor Bestuzhy, who has been charged with attempting to accept a large-scale bribe, told the court today that he was forced to confess to crime. Authorities denied the statement.

The investigators maintain that Bestuzhy tried to obtain a 50 million ruble ($1.71million) bribe through his assistant for leasing a land plot. The investigative authorities earlier said Bestuzhy twice pleaded guilty and confessed to the crime.

A panel of three judges considered on Wednesday two complaints filed by Bestuzhy's defense attorney Inna Denisova. The city manager, who has been kept under detention in Vladikavkaz since April 2011 participated in the hearing via video conference.

Bestuzhy has asserted that he confessed to the crime under torture and threats.

He also maintains that the investigators forced him to give testimony against Stavropol Governor Valery Gayevsky.