VLADIVOSTOK, June 22 - RAPSI. On Friday, investigators in the Maritime Territory charged four officials from the Vladivostok administration of embezzling travel allowances, local investigative authorities report.

The police detained the deputy head of the Vladivostok administration on June 7 along with two other administration employees. The officials allegedly swindled over 300,000 rubles ($9,000) from the city budget between March 13 and March 17, 2012. They requested funds purportedly for a business trip to Hong Kong, but instead, they just used the money to take a holiday there.

Investigators have initiated a criminal case on large-scale fraud in connection with charges of abuse of office. The suspects now face up to six years in prison and are currently on bail under their own recognizance.