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New suspects possible in Russia's case against ex-chiefs of federal prisons

Three of the four current suspects in the case have agreed to testify

Alexander Reimer escorted to court Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

Alexander Reimer escorted to court

© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 1 /TASS/. New suspects may appear in the electronic bracelets fraud case against ex-chiefs of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, Vladimir Markin, a spokesperson for the Russian Investigation Committee, said in an interview with the Vesti news program on Rossiya 1 TV channel.

"I can assure you that the investigation is going to be objective and all the active participants in this criminal chain will be brought to justice," Markin said adding that new suspects could appear in the case.

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Alexander Reimer, the former director of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service arrested on charges of using fraud schemes to steal 2.7 billion rubles ($51.4 million) when purchasing electronic bracelets for court prisoners is giving testimony, Vladimir Markin told Rossiya 1.

Reimer, however, has pleaded not guilty.

Court arrested another two suspects in connection with the electronic bracelets fraud a day earlier on Tuesday. They include Viktor Opredelynov, director of the prison service’s center for IT support and communications; and entrepreneur Nikolai Martynov, the general director of a commercial organization.

Reimer’s former deputy Nikolai Krivolapov has been placed under house arrest.

According to Markin, three of the suspects have agreed to give testimony. The fourth has refused to explain anything referring to Article 51 of the Russian Constitution that allows him not to testify against himself.

"In the interests of investigation I cannot tell you who exactly has refused to testify. But it’s definitely not Reimer," Markin said.

Alexander Reimer, 56, headed the main interior department of the Samara region from April 2006 to 2009. On August 3, 2009, he was appointed director of the Federal Penitentiary Service and was promoted to the rank of colonel general of the internal service in 2010. Reimer was relieved of his duties of FSIN director on June 26, 2012.

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