Rouslan Bodelan

Rouslan Bodelan started his career in 1959 as a sports coach/teacher in a secondary school. In 1961 he began his work at the "Odessilbud" construction company (within its Construction and Field Assembly Department #14) in Balta.

Since 1964 Bodelan is active in politics, being member and functionary in Komsomol, Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other Soviet organizations. In 1965, he became a First Secretary (Head) of Kiliya Raion Komsomol Organization. His top position in CPSU was the First Secretary of Odessa Regional Committee, which he occupied in April 1990.

On 3 April 1990 Bodelan was elected member of the Odessa Oblast Soviet (council). He was later elected a chairman of this council and was occupying this position up to April 1998. Simultaneously, Bodelan was a head of Odessa Oblast State Administration (i.e. governor) in July 1995 – May 1998, member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine in 1994–1998, a member of Maritime Policy Commission under President of Ukraine in 1995–1998, head of the Commonwealth of Danube States' Executive Group in 1996–1997.

In August 1998 Bodelan was elected a mayor of Odessa city.[1] He was re-elected as mayor in 2002,[1] but election results were challenged in courts. In 2005 an Odessa court ruled the elections void and proclaimed Eduard Gurwitz a legal Mayor of Odessa.

While mayor Bodelan allegedly took active part in a wide-range election fraud in favor of pro-government candidates during the 2004 presidential election. After the Orange Revolution he fled to Russia.[1] An investigation of his mayoral activities was opened soon after, Bodelan was charged with abuse of office.[1]

Bodelan is currently wanted under an Interpol search warrant,[1] but Russian authorities refuse to extradite him. He was granted Russian citizenship in 2006[1] (which automatically revokes his Ukrainian citizenship) and a position of deputy director of the Saint-Petersburg Sea Port. Bodelan refused to return to Ukraine voluntarily, claiming he is afraid of political prosecution by supporters of former president Victor Yuschenko. On 9 April 2010 the ex-mayor returned to Odesa.[1]