MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) – Former head of Russia’s Udmurt Republic Alexander Solovyov, who stands charged with taking over 140 million rubles (about $2.5 mln) in bribes, has pleaded guilty and started cooperating with investigators, a prosecutor said during the hearing in Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on Wednesday.

Solovyov’s lawyer confirmed that his client is cooperating with investigators.

On April 26, the defendant said that he had “violated the law” but did not clarify what he meant by that.

According to investigators, in 2014-2016, Solovyov received bribes amounting to 139 million rubles from representatives of organizations behind the construction of bridge crossings over the Kama and Buy rivers in the Udmurt Republic.

Allegedly Solovyov also received a share in a commercial organization worth 2.7 million rubles (about $48.2 mln). The defendant was supposed to ensure extraordinary and immediate payment for construction services from the federal and regional budgets. He was also to allocate licenses for geological exploration and resource extraction.

On April 4, Solovyov was relieved of his position on decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.