MOSCOW, January 27 (RAPSI) – The Investigative Committee of Russia suspects former governor of Sakhalin, Alexander Khoroshavin, of taking 27 million rubles ($337,000) in bribes from candidates for the positions in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Duma in 2014, Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday.

There are six witnesses in the case, attorney Ivan Mironov said. Four of them were elected in the city’s Duma, two were candidates for the position.

According to information available to the newspaper, former mayor of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Andrei Lobkin, his deputy Alexei Leskin and deputy of the head of governor’s secretariat Anatoliy Makarov were allegedly responsible for taking money from the city’s Duma candidates. After that money was allegedly transferred to head of governor’s secretariat Vyacheslav Gorbachev who then transferred it to Khoroshavin himself.

According to Kommersant, Khoroshavin allegedly used his position to influence elections and make sure that some candidates would pass and some would not.

This is a third criminal case against Koroshavin.

Investigators announced in March 2015 that Khoroshavin and several other officials were arrested for allegedly taking a $5.6 million bribe to secure a contract to build a power unit for the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk thermal plant.

Khoroshavin asked earlier either to place him under house arrest or to release him on 5-million-ruble bail, but the motion was dismissed.

Last April, Khoroshavin was charged in another criminal case with taking a bribe of at least 15 million rubles ($230,000) for providing credits on advantageous terms to one of the local businessmen. He pleaded not guilty.