Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin denied on Tuesday that his wife Irina had any connection to a $145.4 million project to repave the city's asphalt sidewalks with brick.
His wife has been linked in media reports to the brick and curbing business.
"My wife is a teacher, she has no relation to bricks," Sobyanin told Vesti FM radio.
In April, Sobyanin said the asphalt sidewalks were inferior to those made with longer-lasting brick. But residents and independent groups doubt whether the disruptive construction work is needed. City Hall ordered a total of 1.34 million square meters in the Central Administrative District to be repaved by October 25.
Sobyanin replaced Yury Luzhkov as Moscow mayor last year. Luzhkov, who was accused of wide-scale corruption, was replaced after losing "the trust" of President Dmitry Medvedev.
