MOSCOW, April 21 (RAPSI) - Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on Monday extended the detention of former Russian senator and billionaire banker Gleb Fetisov, who is suspected of embezzlement from his bank, until August 22, RIA Novosti reported from the courtroom.
Judge Artur Karpov thus granted a motion filed by investigator Roman Nesterov. A period of the investigation has been also extended for four months.
Fetisov’s attorney asked the court to release ex-senator on 555 million ruble ($15.6 million) bail. Moreover, the defense lawyer submitted personal surety of 20 people, who also asked to set Fetisov free under their responsibility and guaranteed that he wouldn’t abscond during the investigation or trial. The list of guarantors includes an adviser to president, the State Duma lawmakers and deputies of the municipal bodies.
Official spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said earlier that Fetisov was detained on suspicion of having embezzled more than 6 billion rubles from the bank, and shifted the responsibility to repay his client's deposits to the Deposit Insurance Agency.
The Russian Central Bank revoked My Bank's license on January 31. Insurance payments to the bank's clients have been tentatively assessed at 6.5 billion rubles ($182 million). Fetisov sold his interest in the bank to private individuals who represented the interests of Russian and foreign investors in December 2013.
It was widely reported by Russian media outlets in late February that the Central Bank had filed a request with the Investigative Committee to examine the activity of Fetisov and the other ex-managers of My Bank.
The Central Bank's request mentioned loan agreements that My Bank had signed over the past three years with apparent dummy companies, as well as potentially irretrievable investments in assets and securities.
According to Forbes, Fetisov is also a co-owner of Altimo, a company that inherited Alfa Eco's food and commodities trading assets and now has major holdings in Russia's telecom industry
