MOSCOW, November 2 - RAPSI. The Moscow Khamovnichesky District Court has sanctioned the arrest of Yekaterina Smetanova, suspected of fraud in the Oboronservis case for selling property on Moscow's Smolensky Bulvar at reduced prices.

The law enforcement officer said at a hearing of the Khamovnichesky District Court that investigators have reason to suspect that Smetanova may try to flee from the country in a Defense Ministry plane.

The officer said that in a previous incident of a similar nature, Smetanova claimed to be an employee of the Defense Ministry property relations department, and left for Paris from Chkalovsky airport using a ministry plane, together with the former head of the property relations department Yevgenia Vasilyeva.

Also, the investigator added when explaining the necessity to put Smetanova into custody, the employees of the Expert Center of Legal Support, which she previously headed, assisted her in destroying documents which served as evidence in the Oboronservis case.

According to the case materials, Smetanova is accused of committing five crimes as part of the Oboronservis case on selling property at Smolensky Bulvar at reduced prices.

Investigators searched the Defense Ministrys property relations department and offices of its affiliated bodies, seized several documents and questioned the departments employees. In addition, three million rubles ($95,838), jewelry and antiques were confiscated from Yevgenia Vasilyeva.

Oboronservis comprises service companies involved in armaments and military vehicle repair and maintenance, construction materials and food production, power facilities operation, cartography and printing goods production, as well as housing services for military towns.