An unknown thief has stolen a tablet computer containing "secret" documents relating to the Moscow mayoral election campaign of candidate Mikhail Degtyaryov of the Liberal Democratic Party, a senior party official said.
The device was stolen on Monday from a car parked on 16 Novoryazanskaya Ulitsa, where the party's Moscow headquarters are located, said Igor Lebedev, head of the party's State Duma faction.
The car belonged to Nikita Krichevsky, an economist who advises the party.
"The economic part of the election campaign" was saved on the computer, while "important documents related to the campaign" were inside its case, Lebedev wrote on his blog.
The information contained "tactical secrets," he said.
Although he didn't point the finger at anyone in particular, he broadly accused the party's rivals of having planned the theft.
"Our political opponents have committed burglary. I am sure that this is a theft of information," he said.
Duma Deputy Mikhail Degtyaryov, 32, registered as the party's candidate for the mayoral race on June 15. The election will be held on Sept. 8, marking the first time in 10 years that Moscow voters have been able to choose their mayor by popular vote.
Acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin — who is running as an independent candidate, but with the backing of the ruling United Russia party — is expected to win comfortably.
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