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CEO of key Russian aerospace firm accused of embezzling $5 mln

The investigators have charged all the suspects with large-scale fraud

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. Investigators are pressing embezzlement charges to the tune of 300 million rubles ($5 mln) against Lavochkin Research and Production Association CEO Sergei Lemeshevsky, Head of the Lavochkin Legal Department Yekaterina Averyanova and against Igor Tretyakov, chairman of the Tretyakov & Partners law firm, the Investigative Committee told TASS on Thursday.

They are accused of pilfering the sum in question from Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos, the Investigative Committee said.

"According to the investigators, the Lavochkin chief executive and his subordinate Averyanova, along with the head of the law firm are accused of stealing funds from Roscosmos by signing bogus agreements with the Tretyakov & Partners law firm for legal services, which in actual fact were performed by the employees of the Lavochkin Legal Department. Payments to the law firm amounted to 330 million rubles over two years," the Investigative Committee stated.

The investigators have charged all the suspects with large-scale fraud (part 4, article 159 of Russia’s Criminal Code). As the Investigative Committee said, Lemeshevsky is also a legislator of the Moscow Region Duma.

"In the course of urgent investigative measures in the Moscow and Chelyabinsk Regions on July 25, the investigators gathered conclusive evidence confirming complicity in the crime committed. Lawyer Tretyakov has gone into hiding from investigators and, therefore, has been put on a federal wanted list," the Investigative Committee said.

A court of law will soon examine the investigators’ request for arresting the suspects.