MOSCOW, March 13 (RAPSI, Nikolay Merkulov) – The Moscow City Court has summoned the director of the Investigative Committee's Moscow department, General Alexander Drymanov for interrogation as a witness in a bribery case against the Internal Security Directorate’s ex-chief Mikhail Maksimenko, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

On Tuesday, the court heard witnesses for the prosecution and examined evidence. The next hearing will be held on March 15. However, the date for Drymanov’s interrogation has not been set yet, according to the court’s press service.

According to prosecutors, in 2016, Maksimenko and his accomplice received $500,000 bribe for help with one of criminal cases. He is also charged with taking $50,000 bribe in 2015 for organizing unlawful criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers in the interests of a bribe-giver.

The defendant has been arrested along with other high-ranking investigators, his deputy Alexander Lamonov and the First Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee’s Moscow Directorate, General Denis Nikandrov.

The three officers were detained as part of a case over extortion of 8 million rubles (about $138,000 at the current exchange rate) that involved an alleged gang leader Zakhariy Kalashov. In addition, investigators believe that they extorted 10 million rubles (about $170,000) from a head of a large joint-stock company. The defendants deny their connections to Kalashov.

Earlier, detention of Maksimenko was extended until June 27.