The former mayor of Angarsk, a town in the Irkutsk region, was apprehended in Belarus after having allegedly taken advantage of his heart problems to flee an embezzlement probe.
Vladimir Zhukov was detained in Belarus on June 6, more than a month after having been placed on a wanted list by investigators, a statement on the website of the Investigative Committee's Irkutsk branch said Monday.
Officials are currently in the process of facilitating his extradition to Russia, the statement said.
During a search of Zhukov's office in March, investigators discovered 600,000 rubles in cash lying around, Lenta.ru reported.
That same day, Zhukov was hospitalized for a heart attack. Although he checked out four days later, his heart problems soon gave rise to a second hospital stay, followed by what appeared to be a stay in a rehabilitation clinic to recover from surgery.
Investigators later determined, however, that he may have been playing hooky: Despite supposedly undergoing rehabilitation, he managed to fly to Crimea, where he allegedly concluded a partnership deal with the city administration of Alushta, Lenta.ru reported.
Following his second hospital release on May 7, his whereabouts remained unknown until police located him in Belarus.
If convicted of embezzlement, Zhukov could face up to six years behind bars.
See also:
Yaroslavl Mayor Who Quit United Russia Arrested on Bribery Charges
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