MOSCOW, February 13 - RAPSI. Investigators offer a guarantee of inviolability to Russia's richest woman Yelena Baturina if she comes to Russia to testify as a witness in the criminal case on the theft of funds from the Bank of Moscow, Pavel Lapshov, an official at the Interior Ministry's Investigative Department, told RIA Novosti.

"Under current legislation, in the event of such a summons, Baturina will enjoy a 15-day inviolability during which we cannot detain her or apply any coercive measures," Lapshov said.

He added that investigators have recently received from Baturina a formal notice of her whereabouts.

"She is in the EU. Since we have learned that she is outside Russia, then according to the Criminal Procedure Code, we can summon a witness staying abroad via the relevant authorities in the country where he is located. We have prepared a request," he added.

Baturina's husband, former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, said earlier that she would come to Russia if she is guaranteed the possibility to go back abroad.

Baturina was ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's third richest woman with a $2.9 billion fortune in 2009. She and her brother Viktor are the co-founders of Inteco, a major investment and construction corporation.