Oboronservis case suspect facing new charges

Investigators suspect the former director general of a warehouse in the Moscow district of the Air Force, accused in the Oboronservis case, of misusing 250,000 roubles. "Criminal proceedings against Maxim Zakutailo were opened under Article 160, Part 3 /misappropriation or squandering in an especially large amount, committed by organized group/," an investigator said at Moscow's Khamovniki court Tuesday as it mulled extending Zakutailo's arrest. "He is suspected of misappropriating more than 250,000 roubles belonging to a Russian company," he added. Earlier, the GVSU opened eight criminal cases over fraud in the sale of real estate facilities that belonged to the Oboronservis company subordinate to the Defense Ministry. They were pooled in one case and are being investigated under the articles on fraud and exceeding and abusing authority. Defense Ministry officials selected the most liquid and prestigious assets belonging to the Ministry, including Moscow-based property. As a rule, tremendous budget funds were injected into the property before it was sold at understated prices to commercial bodies affiliated with Oboronservis, the SK reported earlier. Also, many facilities were purchased with the money stolen from Oboronservis. The damage is estimated at more than four billion roubles. Investigators do not rule out more suspects in the case and an increase in the sum of damage. Maxim Zakutailo and head of the Defense Ministry’s' economic department Nikolai Ryabykh are under arrest on charges of fraud. Former director of the Defense Ministry’s property department Yevgenia Vasilyeva is under house arrest, and former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was questioned as a witness. Zakutailo's wife – former director of the Expert legal support center Yekaterina Smetanova – is on recognizance.