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Russian businessman charged with stealing $500,000 — attorney

Vasily Boyko-Velikiy denied all charges

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. The Russian Investigative Committee detained businessman Vasily Boyko-Velikiy on charges of stealing $500,000 from a bank account of another individual, his attorney Alexei Averyanov told TASS on Wednesday.

"He [Boyko-Velikiy] was detained. Charges of stealing $500,000 from a bank account of Mr. [Vladimir] Shein in 2014 <…> have been filed," the lawyer said, adding that the defendant pleaded not guilty.

According to Averyanov, Boyko-Velikiy and Shein had signed a loan agreement, and the loan was later repaid.

"My client believes that this case was orchestrated and views the criminal procedures against him as an attempt to put pressure for his civil and patriotic views," he said.

The lawyer said investigators would request a judge to place the businessman under arrest on Thursday.

The case has no relation to Boyko-Velikiy’s group of companies, Vash Finansovyi Popechitel (Your Financial Trustee) and its subsidiary, Russkoye Moloko (Russian Milk), the attorney said.

"They will continue to work in normal regime. This criminal case has no relation to Boyko’s companies," he added.

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