NEW YORK, November 1. /TASS/. Former chief of the company North Caucasus Resorts, Akhmed Bilalov, who was detained in Florida last week over violation of immigration laws, has been released on bail but the court continues to consider his deportation, Mary Houtman, ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Public Affairs Specialist, Department of Homeland Security, told TASS on Friday.

"He was released from ICE custody yesterday after posting bond, and he remains in removal proceedings before the courts. ICE cannot speculate as to the outcome of his legal proceedings," she said.

"Akhmed Bilalov, 48, an unlawfully present Russian national, was arrested at his Florida residence by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Oct. 22. On May 2, 2016, he entered the U.S. as a nonimmigrant, but failed to depart in accordance with the terms of his admission," ICE said in a formal statement.

Bilalov affair

Up to February 2013, Akhmed Bilalov had led the North Caucasus Resorts company and held the position of deputy president of the Russian Olympic Committee. His brother Magomed Bilalov was deputy chairman of the Krasnaya Polyana company’s board. Some federal officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, said the company’s real owner was his older brother Akhmed.

Krasnaya Polyana up to the summer of 2012 had been the contractor responsible for building a number of Olympic facilities in Sochi. Akhmed Bilalov came under heavy criticism for the abuse of deadlines and exceeding budget costs by more than four times. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among those who strongly criticized Bilalov after visiting the construction site in 2013. The project was eventually placed in Sberbank’s hands. Bilalov lost his positions in the company and the ROC.

In 2013, the Russian Interior Ministry opened a criminal case against the Bilalov brothers. They were charged in absentia under Part 1 of Article 201 of Russia’s Criminal Code (abuse of office in a commercial organization). In 2016, there were reports the charges against the Bilalovs had been dropped. The Interior Ministry denied this, saying that both brothers had been put on the wanted list. At the same time, no court orders were issued in absentia to arrest the Bilalovs. The former CEO of the company Krasnaya Polyana, Stanislav Khatskevich, was arrested only to be released a while later. His criminal case never went to court.