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Owner of troubled Russian airline summoned for questioning over fraud — source

According to investigators, since September 22, the airline’s officials continued selling tickets when knowing that the flights could not be performed

© Artiom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/. The owner of Russia’s debt-laden VIM Airlines, also known as VIM-Avia, Rashid Mursekayev has been summoned for questioning in connection with a criminal case into fraud, a source told TASS on Thursday.

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"A summons has been issued for Mursekayev to be questioned by the Investigative Committee," the source said. Another source earlier said that the investigators have questioned the airline’s Director General, Alexander Kochnev, as a witness.

Earlier, head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency Alexander Neradko said that Mursekayev had stopped answering phone calls and might have already fled Russia.

Fraud charges are being filed after mass delays and cancellations of flights by VIM Airlines, Russia’s tenth largest carrier.

According to investigators, since September 22, the airline’s officials had continued selling tickets despite knowing that the flights could not be carried out. They allegedly collected more than 1 million rubles ($17,000).

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