MOSCOW, September 26 (RAPSI) – Russian investigators have authorized a supplementary expert examination in a criminal case against Norwegian citizen Frode Berg charged with espionage, the defendant’s attorney Ilya Novikov has told RAPSI.

According to the lawyer, Berg’s defense team considers authorization of a new examination to be either an additional reason for extension of the defendant’s detention or indication of investigators’ poor job. Nevertheless, Novikov refused to disclose a subject of the expertise.

Novikov also noted that there is a high chance of his client being exchanged with Mikhail Bochkarev, a Russian citizen arrested in Norway, who is suspected of espionage there. The attorney said that the matter of exchange is still up in the air as Norwegian authorities are yet to bring charges against the Russian citizen.

According to media reports, Berg was arrested when he received secret documents containing information on Russian navy in December 2017. These papers were allegedly given to him by Russian national Alexey Zhitnyuk, who was detained in December 2017 on suspicion of treason.

Berg has pleaded not guilty.