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New trial of singer sexual abuse case postponed to October 3

Krestov stated he was "unhappy with the mass media for calling him a paedophile and maniac"

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, September 25 (Itar-Tass) — The Khimki court of Moscow region on Tuesday postponed, to October 3, the new trial of the case against singer Igor Kondratyev /alias Konstantin Krestov/ accused of raping two girls, representative of the injured parties Oksana Mikhalkina told Itar-Tass.

Mikhalkina explained the ruling by the defendant's new lawyer taking up the case.

"Lawyer Asipyan will henceforth defend him. He showed the contract with the defendant to the court and asked to postpone the hearing, because he needs time to familiarize himself with the 5-volume case," she said.

At the Tuesday hearing that was held in camera, the court met the lawyer's petition and extended custody for Krestov to January 12.

According to Mikhalkina, Krestov stated he was "unhappy with the mass media for calling him a paedophile and maniac."

"It follows from his remarks that he denies his testimony again and denies his guilt of what he's done," Mikhalkina said.

One of the injured parties asked the courts to review the case in her absence.

Earlier, Krestov was found guilty under penal code articles on "rape," and "sexual violence or sexual abuse with threat to use violence." Krestov got a cumulative two years and four months in a general regime penitentiary. Later, the Moscow City Court overturned the verdict.

The case was broadly covered by the mass media, and not only because of the surprisingly small prison term for the crime. The public was also bewildered by the decision to count in the time spent in the remand prison, so Krestov could have been set free as early as September 6.

A lawyer of one of the injured parties earlier claimed that Krestov had earlier committed such crimes against underage persons.

The court found Krestov guilty of two counts of rape. It was ascertained that the defendant lured a 16-year-old girl into a car under a harmless pretext in 2010, and threatening her with his connections and violence on her parents, sexually assaulted her. The court also found him guilty of an indecent assault involving a young woman.

The singer was found sane despite his attempts to appear to the contrary.

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