MOSCOW, October 5 (Itar-Tass) — Prosecutors objected to the arrest of Interior Ministry's investigator Nella Dmitriyeva, accused of corruption. A prosecutor said so at Moscow's Presnya court which is mulling the suspect's arrest.
"I believe the investigator's petition (to select arrest as the measure of restraint for Dmitriyeva) is illegitimate and unsubstantiated," the prosecutor said, adding that "the investigator, in violation of the Criminal Procedural Code, failed to send a copy of the resolution to the Prosecutor General's Office on opening criminal proceedings against Dmitriyeva for checking whether it is legitimate and substantiated."
In his opinion, the witnesses' testimony gave no reasons for bringing charges against Dmtiriyeva.
The defense also protested arrest.
Earlier on Wednesday, the investigators charged Dmtriyeva with taking a large bribe (under Article 290, Part 6 of Russia's Criminal Code).
The penalty under the article commits the culprit to paying 80- to 100-times sum of the bribe with a ban to occupy certain posts for three years. An alternative penalty is a prison term from eight to 15 years with a fine of 70-times sum of the bribe.
The investigator has ascertained that Dmitriyeva, who was investigating a contraband case, demanded from the suspects a 3-million-dollar bribe for exempting them from criminal responsibility," the SK said.
"She attracted her acquaintances to take the bribe. On August 23, the intermediaries took 50,000 euros, 1,000 dollars and dummy currency imitating euros and dollars in the amount equivalent to almost 50 million roubles.
"Federal Security Service agents arrested the intermediaries as they were taking the money," according to the SK.
Some media outlets reported that special investigator Dmitriyeva was a member of the group probing the Magnitsky case.
Dmitriyeva's case is investigated by the SK's main department for Moscow. The SK central office is supervising the investigation.
Meanwhile, Dmitriyeva denied here guilt.
"If the investigators have proofs, I will admit my guilt. But I have nothing to admit," the detainee said, "they are expecting me to testify against Glukhov (she apparently meat Ivan Glukhov, head of the Interior Ministry’s main investigation department for Moscow - eds Itar-Tass), who is my superior. But I will not give such a testimony."
She noted that "certain superiors" offered her to resign on Friday of her own accord, i.e. several days before the arrest, but that she flatly refused.
The investigator asked the court to hold the hearing in camera, as the detainee could testify about high-ranking officials, but the judge denied the request.
The detainee assured the judge that she was ready to cooperate with the investigators and that it was in her interests to have her case clarified. She also stated she would agree to any measure of restraint except arrest.