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Suspect in embezzlement at Defense Ministry remains under house arrest

Yevgenia Vasilyeva, a suspect in embezzlement at the Defense Ministry, who will remain under house arrest until July 23

Yevgenia Vasilyeva ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

Yevgenia Vasilyeva

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

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MOSCOW, March 25. /ITAR-TASS/. The Moscow city court on Tuesday has approved as legitimate the remand sanctions against Yevgenia Vasilyeva, a suspect in embezzlement at the Defense Ministry, who will remain under house arrest until July 23, the Moscow city court ruled.

The court held hearings into Vasilyeva's complaint against the sanctions in her absence because she preferred not to attend the hearings into her own complaint.

During the hearings Vasilyeva' s lawyers backed her complaint and asked to repeal the remand sanction against Vasileva as "unsubstantiated and illegal".

Investigator Igor Pavlovsky objected, citing Vasilyeva's previous attempts "to put pressure on witnesses". Softer sanctions against Vasilyeva might enable her to continue exerting pressure on the witnesses, Pavlovsky said.

A representative of the military prosecutor's reaffirmed the legitimacy of the sanctions. He confirmed that Vasilyeva had attempted to put pressure on the witnesses, which was confirmed by their testimony. "Besides, the size of the premises where Vasilyeva is confined to stay under house arrest enables her both to enjoy fresh air and take strolls," he said.

The court ignored a protest voiced by lawyer Khasan Borokov who said that Vasilyeva "has no balcony in her apartment, while talking of fresh air coming through a window was obviously strange".

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The term of an investigation into Vasilyeva's case was extended until August 8. She was implicated in 12 episodes of embezzlement connected with illegal sale of real estate belonging to the Oboronservice company and illegal appropriation of its funds.

The Head Military Investigation department claims that Vasilyeva's crimes inflicted losses worth more than three billion roubles.

Vasilyeva was placed under house arrest on November 23, 2012. Afterwards, the Moscow city court softened the terms of the house arrest for the suspect who was ordered not to leave her house without her coroner's permission. The Moscow city court also authorized persons, who were not under investigation on the embezzlement case, to visit Vasilyeva at home. She was also allowed to freely use communication facilities to discuss matters not connected with the criminal case opened against her.

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