A senior lawmaker from A Just Russia who has been accused of fraud and deprived of his parliamentary immunity has been summoned to the Investigative Committee for questioning, RIA-Novosti reported Monday, citing the deputy's spokesperson.
The questioning has been set for Tuesday at noon.
Oleg Mikheyev, a Duma deputy from the left-leaning Just Russia party who represents the Volgograd region, is accused of illegally seizing 14 pieces of real estate belonging to a local engine-building plant worth 500 million rubles ($16 million).
He is also suspected of attempting to steal over 2 billion rubles ($65 million) from Promsvyazbank and not returning 170 million rubles given to him as a loan from Nomos-Bank.
On March 7, investigators filed charges of fraud and obstructing justice against him. He faces up to 14 years in prison on those charges.
Authorities of the republic of Kazakhstan are also claiming that Mikheyev failed to return $40 million to local banks.
Mikheyev has denied all charges against him and said that Promsvyazbank in fact owes him money. He has also said that he is being persecuted for his political activity, and that the initiator of the charges against him is Federation Council senator Dmitry Ananyev.
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.
