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Serdyukov has arrived for interrogation to the detectives of the Main Military Investigation Department

Former Defence Minister is testifying as a witness – Investigation Committee

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, December 28 (Itar-Tass) — Former Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov arrived for interrogation to the detectives of the Main Military Investigation Department of the Russian Investigation Committee and he is being interrogated, spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Friday.

He recalled that earlier head of the Main Military Investigation Department Alexander Sorochkin stated that serious reasons should exist for the interrogation of the former minister in the criminal case over military property misappropriation.

“Today the detectives have taken the necessary scope of procedural and investigation actions that took some time and now on the results of the work done the detectives of the Main Military Investigation Department have outlined the scope of questions on the details of the crimes, which were committed with the property of the Defence Ministry, and the questions to the defence minister,” Markin said.

Anatoly Serdyukov is testifying as a witness on Friday.

“Upon the result of the interrogation the detectives will analyze thoroughly the information received from the former minister,” Markin said.

The Main Military Investigation Department opened eight criminal cases over the criminal schemes with real estate entities, which belong to the Oboronservis company, which is subordinate to the Defence Ministry. The criminal cases are being investigated under the criminal articles for fraud and abuse of power.

The detectives found that the officials in the Defence Ministry have picked up the most liquid and prestigious sites, lands and shares from the Oboronservis assets. Then massive budget funds used to be invested in this real estate and the property was sold at much more understated prices to the commercial structures affiliated with Oboronservis. Meanwhile, many sites were bought from the funds, which were misappropriated from Oboronservis.

The damages in this criminal case are preliminarily estimated at over four billion roubles. However, to find the exact sum of the damages a financial and economic expertise will be conducted.

On fraud accusations in this criminal case former head of the central of legal support Expert Yekaterina Smetanova and her husband, former general director of the Air Force depot in the Moscow Military District Maxim Zakutailo are being kept under arrest. Former head of the department of proprietary relations of the Russian Defence Ministry Yevgeniya Vasilyeva is being kept under home arrest.

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