MOSCOW, October14 - RAPSI. A court has found on Friday the trial in absentia against former Bank of Moscow president Andrei Borodin legal, the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reported today.

Borodin was charged with large-scale fraud in Russia and fled to the UK.

A Moscow district court dismissed Borodin's appeal to close the case against him.

The court instituted a criminal case in late 2010 against Borodin and his deputy Dmitry Akulinin on fraud and the embezzlement of 12.76 billion rubles from Moscow's budget through a loan granted by the Bank of Moscow to Premier Estate in 2010. Borodin and Akulinin were charged with abuse of office. They face up to four years in prison.

A Moscow district court issued an arrest warrant for Borodin and his deputy in absentia.