Presidential aide’s car caught using bus lane
THE MOSCOW TIMES8
The shiny BMW of Presidential Aide Arkady Dvorkovich has been caught misbehaving on the roads which led to a collision with a Mercedes in Moscow.
The one of the most prominent figures in President Dmitry Medvedev’s staff admitted his car was driving along a bus lane and is ready to pay the fine. «After the road accident a ticket was issued for a traffic rules violation, which is to be paid,» Dvorkovich wrote in his Twitter. Dvorkovich came out of the accident safe and sound, as well as passengers in the Mercedes, Gazeta.ru reported. The only the two cars suffered in the accident.
Moscow’s road police said the accident happened on Wednesday morning, at 8:45 am on Pyatnitskoye Shosse when Dvorkovich’s vehicle was heading towards the city center with its flashing lights engaged.
«The Mercedes, which was moving in the same direction, was trying to turn left and hit the car,» Gazeta.ru quoted road police’s spokesman as saying. Dvorkovich, however, said nothing about who is going to pay the fine – he himself or his driver. A representative of the Presidential Administration told Gazeta.ru that all penalties are to be paid by the people behind the wheel.
Krymsk officials arrested over deadly flooding
THE MOSCOW TIMES9
Three senior officials in southern Russia’s Krymsk district have been arrested in a probe into the mishandling of a flood that killed 171 people earlier this month, the Investigative Committee said on Sunday.
The three arrested were Krymsk Mayor Vladimir Ulyanovsky, the former head of the district Vasily Krutko, who resigned after the flood, and acting head of the public department for the prevention of emergency situations, Viktor Zhanov. Ulanovsky was admitted to hospital shortly after his arrest, Interfax reported on Sunday without mentioning why.
The worst flooding in the region in decades was caused by heavy rainfall on the night of July 6—7. Investigators said the suspects failed to deliver a timely warning and evacuate people from the area. The total death toll in the Krymsk district was 153 people, according to the Committee’s statement. The maximal penalty the suspects face if charges are brought against them is seven years of prison with possible deprivation of the right to hold specific posts.