Former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov gave testimony in the Bank of Moscow’s embezzlement case at the Interior Ministry’s Investigative Department on November 15.

Photo: Former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's car near the Investigative Department.

Dozens of journalists gathered near the Investigative Department on Tuesday morning. They were waiting for former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who was set to arrive by 10 am.

The former Moscow mayor was called in for questioning as a witness in the Bank of Moscow’s large-scale embezzlement case. The investigators wanted to hear former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s explanations regarding the Moscow government’s purchase of Bank of Moscow shares in 2009. Later, the bank allocated about 13 billion rubles ($421.38 million) to the Premier Estate company.

“Yuri Luzhkov is always either in good spirits or extremely good spirits. I think now his mood is closer to the latter,” Luzhkov’s lawyer Genri Reznik (photo) told journalists before the interrogation.

“Luzhkov was interrogated in the case, which I will call the 'Bank of Moscow case' for convenience. Many questions were asked. A great deal of them dealt with the bank's additional emission of shares and the Moscow government’s participation in the purchase of additional banks’ shares,” lawyer Genri Reznik told journalists after the interrogation.

He added that Luzhkov is ready and willing to attend further interrogations if necessary.

Luzhkov was interrogated for about four hours. He did not speak with the journalists after the interrogation.

Photo: Former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov's car driving away from the Investigative Department.