MOSCOW, June 22 – RAPSI. Businessman Dmitry Garkusha has filed a $241.1 million lawsuit as part of the criminal case against former MP Ashot Yegiazaryan, his attorney Ruben Markaryan told the Russian Legal Information Agency on Friday.

“The amount was calculated based on the value of Blindesol (Cyprus) and Hackham (British Virgin Islands) shares, fraudulently appropriated by Ashot Yegiazaryan, his accomplices Artyom Yegiazaryan and Vitaly Gogokhiya. These companies have financial claims against the Moskva hotel,” the attorney said.

According to his attorney, Garkusha is seeking the return of the shares and also compensation for his losses.

Ashot Yegiazaryan’s involvement in fraudulent activity was uncovered in March 2012 and criminal proceedings started against him shortly after. Vitaly Gogokhiya is also a suspect in the case. The suspects are charged with fraudulently acquiring Invest-Center shares worth 5.962 billion rubles ($179.67 million) by fraud.

In addition, Russian investigators believe Yegiazaryan and three accomplices used fraudulent means to acquire 20 percent of Tsenturion Alliance shares worth 1.57 billion rubles ($46.86 million).

Additionally, Yegiazaryan offered businessman Mikhail Ananyev to take part in the construction of a trade complex on Moscow’s Rublyovskoye Highway and the reconstruction of the Moskva hotel in 2002 and 2003. The Investigative Committee believes that Yegiazaryan promised Ananyev to transfer him a partnership interest in these organizations.

Yegiazaryan did not fulfill the agreement and used the 500 million rubles ($14.92 million rubles) that he received from Ananyev at his own disposal.
Yegiazaryan has been stripped of his parliamentary immunity. He is under investigation on charges of fraud and faces 10 years in prison. He has been on the federal wanted list since November 2010 and on the international wanted list since December. The Russian parliament's lower house consented to his arrest in March 2011.