MOSCOW, December 19 (RAPSI) – Former mayor of Nizhny Novgorod and vice-speaker of the regional parliament, Oleg Sorokin, has been charged with receiving a $1-million bribe, RAPSI has learnt from the Unified press-service of regional courts.

Investigators seek detention of Sorokin and claim that he, acting as a mayor, received the bribe for his patronage.

According to the statement, the regional Ministry of state property and land resources organized a tender for rent rights to 14 land plots in Nizhny Novgorod, which were allocated for housing construction. One of the companies, with 60% of its shares owned by Sorokin’s wife, won the tender prompting another one to appeal the results in regional and federal antimonopoly agencies.

Sorokin, having personal interest in the deal, proposed his acquaintance to pay $1 million to a head of the latter company for recalling the appeal, lawsuit and claims on the land plots, the press-service notes. It added that Sorokin received money from another acquaintance, not aware of criminal intent.