A Supreme Court-ordered investigation has found evidence that Draganov abused his authority by ordering the customs' accounts be transferred to a bank that was not authorized by the government to perform such operations, Markin said, Interfax reported.
Draganov has filed an appeal with the court. If he loses, the Investigative Committee will ask the Duma to strip Draganov of the immunity that he enjoys as a deputy in order to prosecute him, Markin said.
If convicted, Draganov faces up to 10 years in prison.
Draganov, a member of United Russia, defended his actions as customs chief a decade earlier. "During all of my government service I acted and now act completely within the framework of the law and also in the national interest," Draganov said, Interfax reported.
The investigation comes amid a Kremlin-led campaign to root out corruption. But the case could embarrass both the government and the 450-member Duma, which has seen several deputies accused of criminal wrongdoing in recent months.
Spanish authorities this week issued an arrest warrant for Vladislav Reznik, head of the Duma's Financial Markets Committee and a United Russia member, in connection with an investigation into Russian organized crime on the island of Mallorca. Spanish police said he is suspected of receiving money from a criminal group purportedly led by Gennady Petrov, who was arrested on the island in June. Few details about the case have been released.
Last year, British police asked the Prosecutor General's Office to extradite Andrei Lugovoi to face murder charges in the poisoning death of former security services officer Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. In defiance of the charges, Lugovoi ran for the Duma in December and won a seat on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket.
Russian authorities have refused to extradite Lugovoi and shown no intention of handing over Reznik. Both men deny wrongdoing.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.