The Central Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continues investigating a criminal case over stealing money from non-commercial organization Valery Gergiyev Charity Fund. Former Director of the Fund, Head of Musical Festival “Stars of White Nights” and Moscow Easter Festival Igor Zotov and Kazbek Lakuti are charged with three crimes under part 4 of article 160 of the RF Criminal Code (misappropriation and two facts of embezzlement).
According to investigators in 2009-2010 Zotov and Lakuti stole from Valery Gergiyev Charity Fund money which they spent to buy 6 expensive apartments and 6 parking places in an elite house in the center of Moscow. They registered the real estate worth 450 million rubles on their wives.
In November 2012 Lakuti to partly recompense the damage gave one of the apartments bought for stolen money to Valery Gergiyev Charity Fund. In connection with Zotov’s refusal to recompense the damage of his own accord, all his real estate is under arrest.
At present investigation of this case is on its final stage. On 15 November Lakuti and his defenders completed reading 34 volumes of the case. However investigators believe that Zotov is deliberately delaying the reading process despite the fact that investigators have created all conditions for his free access to the materials – during working hours, after working hours and at the weekend. Such delay infringes the right of the other accused to access justice in reasonable time, interferes with the right of the victims on judicial protection against crime and paying the damages. Due to this fact, in November 2012, investigators forwarded to the court a petition requesting to limit time of reading for Zotov. However despite the reasons the court overruled the petition.
Moscow city court has extended the time of arrest for Zotov to 2 March 2013. On 3 December 2012, criminal board of judges of Moscow city court did not satisfied complaints of Zotov and his defenders to extend the time of arrest.
In the near future investigators are going to repeatedly petition about limiting the time of reading the case for Zotov, after that it will be sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office to approve the indictment.
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