MOSCOW, September 23 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – Denis Sugrobov, former head of the Interior Ministry’s Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department who was charged with abuse of power, has filed a defamation suit against RBC Daily.

The suit obtained by RAPSI has been registered with Moscow's Gagarinsky District Court.

Sugrobov claims that the article published in the newspaper in May, titled “The Interior Ministry loses its main fighter against corruption”,  contained allegedly defamatory statements.

The newspaper alleged that Sugrobov's career success was due to his family relationship with Konstantin Chuichenko, Chief of the president's audit department.

Sugrobov claims that he “was never related to Chuichenko,” who therefore had no influence on his career.

He says that the article tarnished his reputation, and the statements were deliberately alleged in the article to create the impression that he was guilty of the charges brought against him, Sugrobov claims.

He has asked the court to rule that his alleged family relationship with Chuichenko as a reason behind his career advancement be declared defamatory, and that the newspaper publish a retraction and delete the article from its website.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to relieve Sugrobov of his duties at the Interior Ministry on February 21. Sugrobov reportedly tendered his resignation after the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service (FSB) searched the offices of four of his subordinates who were charged with bribe extortion and abuse of power.

On May 15, he was charged with organizing a criminal group, abuse of power and bribery. According to investigators, Sugrobov and Kolesnikov tried to frame a Federal Security Service (FSB) officer. They allegedly planned to pass as businessmen to offer the unidentified FSB officer $10,000 a month in protection money.