MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has relieved Lt. Gen. Denis Sugrobov of his duties as director of the Interior Ministry's Economic Security and Counter-Corruption Department, the Kremlin press service reported on Friday.
A source familiar with the situation told Interfax that Sugrobov's dismissal came in response to the arrest of several high-ranking officers who served in this department.
"Sugrobov's dismissal is immediately linked with the detention and the subsequent arrest of a number of high-ranking employees holding the rank of deputy head of the Economic Security and Counter-Corruption Department," the source said.
According to earlier news reports, a criminal investigation was opened against several high-ranking officials of the Russian Interior Ministry on the counts of extortion and abuse of office. Eight people were detained, including two deputy heads of the ministry's directorate that cracks down on crimes in the budget sector - Ivan Kosourov and Alexei Bodnar.
"Sugrobov shares the interior minister's position concerning the director's personal responsibility and asked him [the interior minister] to relieve him of this post immediately after the incident," a source close to Sugrobov told Interfax.
Sugrobov handed in his resignation on February 17, the source said.
Sugronov "had long wanted to step down citing exhaustion," he said.
"A decision approving Sugrobov's resignation had been postponed several times, but was finally adopted on February 21," the source said.