A Russian court has ordered prosecutors to seize 10.5 billion rubles ($160.7 million) worth of property belonging to a former official in Moscow region arrested on suspicion of fraud.
Alexander Shestun, a vocal former leader of one of several towns outside Moscow campaigning against noxious garbage dumps, was arrested in the summer of 2018. His initial charges of abuse of authority were later changed to embezzlement, illegal business activity and money laundering.
The Krasnogorsk city court granted prosecutors’ motion to seize $160.7 million of property allegedly belonging to Shestun and 35 other individuals and legal entities, Interfax reported Monday.
Prosecutors estimate Shestun owns more than 676 properties on nearly 1,500 hectares of land valued at more than 10 billion rubles, the news agency reported.
Yulia Shestun, his wife, told Interfax the prosecutors’ claims are false “because Shestun had never owned property of that kind.”
She said the defense plans to appeal the latest court ruling.
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