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Ex-senator Pugachyov wanted in Mezhprombank criminal case

MOSCOW, December 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Former member of the Russian Federation Council upper house of parliament from the Tuva republic, beneficiary of the bankrupt Mezhprombank (MPB) Sergei Pugachyov has been put on the wanted list in the MPB criminal case.

The Kommersant daily writes with reference to its sources that “within the investigation of machinations committed in MPB, he was arrested in absentia by the Basmanny district court.”

“The investigation has questions to the former FC member, however, he refused to contact law enforcement agencies and did not show up in court, despite repeated subpoenas sent to him. In this connection he was first put on the federal and then, when it was found out that he is staying abroad, on the international wanted list,” the newspaper specifies. A newspaper source supposed that the suspect “might have committed large-scale fraud.”

Back in August 2011, Russia’s Investigative Committee (SK) said that the SK Main Investigation Department for Moscow was investigating a criminal case of illegal activities in bankruptcy and deliberate bankruptcy of the JSC International Industrial Bank (Articles 195 and 196 of the RF Criminal Code). SK spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass then that the criminal case was opened after an inspection conducted in Mezhprombank by employees of the Russian Central Bank.

“According to the investigation, the illegal actions and violation of the current legislation in the sphere of activity of credit institutions by the management and founders of the JSC International Industrial Bank, the bank’s creditors suffered damage totaling more than 34 billion rubles,” Markin said. However, he did not specify the affected companies, citing the interests of the investigation and commercial and banking secrets.

On October 5, 2010, the Russian Central Bank revoked the license of MPB. On November 7 of the same year, the Moscow Commercial Court declared it bankrupt.

MPB was created in 1992. At the time of revocation of its license, it was among the top 30 of Russia’s largest banks.

Sergei Pugachyov represented the Republic of Tuva in the Federation Council from 24 December 2001 to early January 2011, when the head of the Tuva Republic, Sholban Kara-ool, by his decree terminated his FC powers ahead of time.

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