Authorities Search Respublika Bank in Connection with Yegiazaryan Case
June 5, 2012 Lenta.ru -- Authorities searched the Respublican bank, located in downtown Moscow, as part of the criminal investigation of Ashot Yegiazaryan, the ex-member of the Russian State Duma. Bank statements and money transfer information was seized, the ingestigators said.
According to the victims’ lawyer Ruben Markarian, the former head of the State real estate department Mikhail Ananiev used to own the bank via Invest-Center holding company. Authorities suspect that Yegiazaryan fraudulently received control over the company and sold the bank and stole USD 20mln.
Investigation showed that Ananiev was tricked into giving 80,000 shares of the company to Yegiazaryan’s representatives, his wife Natalia Tsagolova and his head of security Vladimir Zaitsev.
A criminal case over this fraud was opened in March 2012. Ashot Yegiazaryan and his business partner Vitaly Gogokhiya are suspects. Earlier, both men were also accused of stealing shares worth half a billion rubles from businessman Vitali Smagina. These criminal investigations have been combined into one case. Yegiazaryan, his brother Artyom and Vitaly Gogokhiya are arrested in absentia and put on the international wanted list.
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