MOSCOW, August 28 (RAPSI) – Officers of the Investigative Committee directorate for the Novgorod Region have launched a new criminal case against former deputy head of the regional administration Arnold Shalmuyev previously convicted of embezzlement, the press-service of the Committee has stated.

Now, Shalmuyev is suspected of giving a large-scale bribe. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to investigators, in 2012, the suspect, who held the office at the time, transferred 17 million rubles ($251,800) to regional ex-senator for assistance with providing Shalmuyev with powers concerning regional roads.

In 2016, a district court in Novgorod sentenced the former official to 8 years and 9 months in prison as part of the criminal case over large-scale embezzlement of funds allocated for road repair in the region.