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Natural Resources Minister 'to Fire' Agency Chief

The head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Nature Resources will be dismissed in the upcoming weeks, Izvestia reported Tuesday.

Speculation has swirled around the fate of the agency's chief, Vladimir Kirillov, for some time, and Izvestia said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi planned to finally relieve him of his duties in the next two to three weeks.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev joined discussions on who would be the best candidate to replace Kirillov a week ago, said a ministry source told the newspaper.

Kirillov, who was appointed in 2008, has been accused of choosing unskilled people, including waiters and cleaners, to leading positions at his agency. Some of his team have been implicated in bribery schemes and dismissed. One department head has been arrested on extortion charges.

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