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Moscow City Court upholds arrest of ex-deputy minister

Roman Panov is accused of embezzling funds allocated for preparations for the APEC summit in Vladivostok

MOSCOW, December 3 (Itar-Tass) — The Moscow City Court upheld on Monday the arrest of a former deputy head of the Russian Ministry for Regional Development and currently prime minister of the Perm region, Roman Panov, accused of embezzling funds allocated for preparations for the APEC summit in Vladivostok.

Thus the court has refused to uphold a cassation appeal of the defence. The court session was held without the arrested official. In their appeal, all three lawyers of Panov asked to change a measure of restraint to the recognizance not to leave, home arrest or a bail of ten million roubles that his wife is ready to pay. Besides they have attached a medical note certifying that his child has bronchial asthma.

Lawyers maintained in court that when arrest had been chosen as a measure of restraint norms of Russian and international legislation had been violated. Thus, according to the defence, Panov will not flee from prosecution as he has no necessary documents or intentions for that. Besides he will not be able to destroy evidence as he is no longer deputy minister, the post he quit of his free will.

The defence says the accusations Panov faces are from the sphere of entrepreneurship activity crimes, and in this case “in accordance with law the defendant cannot remain in custody.”

The prosecutor, for her part, said the arrest ruling does not violate the law. She stressed that in view of the gravity of the crime of which the official is accused, this decision is legal and justified.

Panov was arrested for the period till January 2 on charges of fraud with funds allocated for the construction of APEC summit facilities. Earlier, the Russian Interior Ministry reported that some top officials from the Ministry for Regional Development, including a former deputy minister, were suspected of embezzlement of over 93 million roubles of budget money.

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