News

The appeal court of Lyons (France) has agreed with the position of Russian law enforcement and recommended to grant the request on extradition of former First Deputy Chairman of Moscow Region Government – Finance Minister Alexey Kuznetsov to be prosecuted in Russia. Kuznetsov was wanted since 2010. On a request filed by investigators a court ruled to take him in custody in absentia, and the Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee issued a warrant to prosecute him as the accused. Under the French laws ultimate decision about extraditing Kuznetsov will be made by executive authorities of the country.

At present a court is continuing hearing a case against Kuznetsov’s accomplices deputy finance minister of Moscow Region Vladimir Nosov, former CEO of the company founded by Moscow Region Government “Moscow Regional Trust Company” Vladislav Telepnyov and economist of OOO NET-Finance (LLC) Yelena Kuznetsova. They are charged with crimes under part 4 of article 159 of the RF Penal Code (swindling committed by an organized group on a very large scale), part 3 of article 174.1 (legalization of money or property obtained by criminal way), part 4 of article 160 (embezzlement).

According to investigators, in the period between 2005 and 2008, the accused together with other members of an organized group led by Alexey Kuznetsov by deceit and abuse of trust purchased from a number of enterprises of housing and communal services in Moscow Region the right to demand the debts worth in total over 3.5 billion rubles from municipalities in Moscow Region. They legalized the said right by selling them to a commercial bank, which implementing the acquired right demanded debts from heads of municipal entities. In view of lack of the money demanded the heads of municipal entities got loans to pay the debts and repaid the loans from the Moscow region budget, the possibility of which was preliminarily prepared by Kuznetsov. The members of the criminal group also stole property owned by OAO Mosobltransinvest (OJSC) worth 7.2 billion rubles.

Kuznetsov’s wife Zhanna Bulokh, who is also an accomplice to the said crimes is still wanted internationally.

The investigating is ongoing.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                     V.I. Markin