MOSCOW, November 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Former Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov is suspected of negligence that caused losses of 56 million rubles (about $1.7 million), spokesman of the Russian Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

The investigators found out that at the post of the defense minister Serdyukov instructed his subordinate officials to build a motor road from the village Krasa in Ikryaninsky district in Astrakhan Region to Shkolny Island, where the holiday home Zhitnoye is situated and to do the work to develop this territory from the budget resources of the ministry.

Conscript soldiers from the aviation unit were doing the greenery works and a battalion of the railway troops was building the road.

The criminal case was opened against Serdyukov under Article 293 Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code for negligence. The measure of restraint was not handed down on the ex-defense minister.

Article 293 Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code envisages a fine of up to 120,000 rubles (about $3.6 thousand) or the salary or any other income of the convict for the period of up to one year or compulsory works for the period from 120 to 180 hours or correctional works for the period of up to one year or the arrest for the term of up to three months.

Serdyukov pleads not guilty

Anatoly Serdyukov does not plead guilty in the criminal case over negligence against him, his lawyer is not informed about the criminal case opened against Serdyukov yet, lawyer of the former minister Konstantin Rivkin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“Certainly, he does not plead guilty, this question is even not on the agenda,” the lawyer said.

“We were not officially informed about the criminal case opened against my client,” Rivkin said, recalling that the former defense minister is a witness in the real estate fraud case in the structures of the companies Oboronservis and Slavyanka.

Interrogation due to take place next week

Former Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will be questioned in the criminal case over negligence soon, reliable sources told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“He will be summoned for interrogation soon, this will happen at the beginning of the next week,” the source said.

Itar-Tass sources did not rule out that the criminal case against Serdyukov may be changed for a harsher criminal charge. “There are some signs of abuse of power. In particular, there are some cases when Serdyukov personally gave instructions to the servicemen to build the road,” the source said.

In his words, the court has not ruled on a measure of restraint for Serdyukov yet and “probably a measure of restraint will not be handed down on him.”