MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. The US Embassy in Moscow is demanding that the Russian authorities should grant it immediate consular access to the founder of the Baring Vostok investment fund, Michael Calvey, who was arrested in the case of embezzling 2.5 bln rubles from Vostochny Bank. That is according to the statement of the US diplomatic mission in Russia published on its website on Thursday.
"The Russian Federation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet complied with the terms of our Bilateral Consular Convention and has not allowed us to provide consular assistance. We have expressed our strong concern about this delay through diplomatic channels. We insist on access now," the diplomatic mission said.
On February 13, Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal case into the embezzlement of 2.5 bln rubles ($37.5 mln) from the Vostochny Bank. Michael Calvey is the key defendant in the case. As part of the investigation, the law enforcement agencies arrested Calvey and five others: Vagan Abgaryan, partner at Baring Vostok, Philippe Delpale, an investment partner for the financial industry sector at Baring Vostok, Ivan Zyuzin, Investment Director at Baring Vostok and also General Director of the First Collection Bureau Maxim Vladimirov and Advisor to the Management Board of Norvik Bank, Alexey Kordichev. They are all facing charges under part 4 article 159 of Russia’s Criminal Code (Swindling committed on a large scale by an organized group).