MOSCOW, April 5 - RAPSI. Former Deputy Moscow Mayor Alexander Ryabinin pleaded not guilty in the fraud charges against him at a Moscow Presnensky District Court hearing on Thursday.

After the prosecutor read the charges, Ryabinin refused to plead guilty.

"The charges are not clear to me, I plead not guilty," he said.

According to the investigation, Ryabinin took possession of a nonresidential premise in Moscow worth over 5.9 million rubles ($200,400) in collusion with his agent Vadim Kozlov.

Ryabinin is accused of embezzling property and abuse of power. He faces up to 10 years in prison.