Russia's arrested liberal governor. What we know about Nikita Belykh's criminal case.

On June 24, Nikita Belykh, the governor of Russia’s Kirov region, was given a packet of money in a Moscow restaurant. He was later arrested for accepting a large bribe. So far, Russia's Investigative Committee has said very little about Belykh's case, and official information is scarce. Insider sources, however, have proven to be more forthcoming when it comes to talking to the media. Meduza reviews what we've learned since Belykh's arrest: he allegedly accepted three installments of the bribe; we know who gave him the money; and we know how the investigation against the governor began.

Rumors that something “unpleasant” had occurred to Kirov Governor Nikita Belykh started circulating about two weeks before he was arrested. According to the newspaper Kommersant, sources say it was around this time that Putin's representatives in the Volga Federal District (which includes Kirov) “got the order” to start looking for someone to replace Belykh.

The man who handed Belykh the bag of money at the Moscow restaurant was German businessman Yuri Zudhaimer. According to the news agency Interfax, Belykh took the money in exchange for providing Zudhaimer's enterprise with “general protection” and favoritism regarding the Kirov government's investment projects.

Belykh was handed 150,000 euros ($166,000) in cash at the restaurant. According to the spokesman for Russia's Federal Investigative Committee, this was just the third installment in a larger bribe. Belykh allegedly received the first tranche of 200,000 euros ($222,000) in May 2014 from the chairman of the Novovyatsky Ski Plant, Albert Laritsky, according to the news agency RIA Novosti. The second delivery was just 50,000 euros ($55,000), says another source. The final sum of the bribes supposedly exceeds 400,000 euros ($444,000).

Two businessmen have testified against Belykh, according to unofficial reports. Police launched their investigation against Belykh based on Laritsky's testimony. Belykh was arrested during the summer of 2015 for pocketing loans made out to the Novovyatsky Ski Plant. According to Kommersant, Laritsky—who was apparently one of Belykh's friends—has been detained in a Moscow prison for the past year. Zudhaimer is the second businessman to have testified against Belykh.

The money handed over to Belykh could have been intended for the development of the Kirov region. Vladimir Bykov, a spokesperson for the regional branch of the political party United Russia, said, “the governor brought together businessmen under the premise [of attracting sponsorship] for several investment projects. In particular, these included the restoration of the Savior Cathedral, the restoration of [Kirov] city’s historic center, the [restoration of the] facades [of buildings], and the building of new monuments.” A source confirmed the same information to Interfax. The court investigator also argued that Belykh accepted the money to help meet the “needs of Kirov.” Belykh’s defense lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov, has refused to comment on the nature of the money, as Belykh himself has not made his own version of the story officially known.

The Investigative Committee insists that Belykh, as a state official, “doesn't have the right to accept money” directly. “They steal like the big boys, but then they justify themselves as if they were children. He might as well have said that he took the money to help pensioners and children,” the committee's spokesman told reporters. In Russia, it's true that governors are legally forbidden from receiving monetary rewards or gifts worth more than 3,000 rubles (about $50).

At present, Belykh remains the governor of the Kirov region, though his duties have transferred to his deputy, Aleksey Kuznetsov. The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Vladimir Putin has not dismissed Belykh from his post, but stressed that, as head of state, he does not need to wait for a court decision to do so. Sakhalin Governor Alexander Khoroshavin was dismissed by Putin 22 days after being detained on suspicion of accepting bribes. The dismissal of Vyacheslav Gayzer, the head of the Republic of Komi, took a mere 12 days.

Those who know Belykh refuse to believe that he could have accepted bribes. Deputy Governor Aleksey Vershinin believes that the governor of the Kirov “would not stoop [so low as to partake in] bribery.” Kirov regional Senator Vyacheslav Timchenko has said, “Belykh is not a poor person, and 400,000 is not the type of money that people would risk their lives and freedom for.” Anatoly Chubais, Belykh’s associate from the Union of Right Forces political party, wrote, “I understand that my friend Nikita Belykh is in trouble and it looks like this trouble is heavy… Having known him for about 15 years, I find it difficult to believe that Nikita would take bribes.” On June 28, Nikita Belykh's older brother, Alexander Belykh, resigned from the Attorney General's Office, where he was head public prosecutor for the Volga Federal District.