MOSCOW, March 1 - RAPSI, Sergei Feklyunin. Chkalov Avia has filed a 411 million ruble ($13.5 million) claim with the Moscow Commercial Court against the Defense Ministry, the court told RAPSI on Friday.

The airport service company seeks to redeem an overdue payment under its state contract.

The lawsuit was filed on February 28, but the court has not yet scheduled a hearing.

Media reported that searches were underway at Chkalov Avia's offices outside Moscow last month. General Director Anna Tretyakova was reportedly questioned with regard to an abuse of power case. The case involved the construction of an access road to a southern Russian resort owned by former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's relatives.

Hundreds of military personnel have allegedly been employed in the development project. Media have also reported that Chkalov Avia regularly provided flights to the resort for Defense Ministry VIPs, as well as construction workers. The services were paid for by the government.

Tretyakova later said the company never transported anyone to the luxury dacha of Valery Puzikov, Serdyukov's son-in-law, which was one of the accusations.

The court accepted Chkalov Avia's first 40 million ruble ($1.3 million) lawsuit against the ministry in mid-February. A preliminary hearing will take place on May 14.

Companies controlled by the Defense Ministry are now being probed on fraud charges totaling over 13 billion rubles ($433 million) in a series of corruption cases. The so-called "Oboronservice case" led to the sacking of Serdyukov last November.

Established in 2009, Chkalov Avia provides engineering and technical services to the country's largest military airfield, Chkalovsky.