Support The Moscow Times!

Drugs Found in Arrested Russian Ex-Minister’s Apartment, Investigators Claim

Mikhail Abyzov Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency

Russian investigators say they have found drugs in the apartment of detained former minister Mikhail Abyzov, Interfax reported on Thursday.

Abyzov, 46, faces up to 20 years behind bars on suspicion of embezzling $62 million. The former minister of a since-disbanded Open Government Affairs post denies the charges.

A forensic analysis showed that a “narcotic substance” had been found in Abyzov’s apartment, Interfax quoted an investigator as saying in court Thursday. Neither the type nor the amount of the substance were specified.

Abyzov’s lawyer challenged the allegation, saying investigators overlooked certain pieces of evidence.

“Why doesn’t [the investigator] tell the court that Abyzov’s fingerprints weren’t found on the bag of drugs?" Sergei Drozda, Abyzov’s lawyer, told the Moskva News Agency.

Drozda later said the apartment was only registered in Abyzov’s name but belonged to his mother-in-law.

"These weren't drugs, but a medical substance," his mother-in-law told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

The authorities do not plan to press new charges against the ex-official over the find, Alexander Asnis, another Abyzov lawyer, told Interfax. An administrative case has been opened, RIA reported.

A Moscow court ruled later on Thursday to keep Abyzov in pre-trial detention for two more months, RIA reported.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more