MOSCOW, July 17 (RAPSI) – Ilya Ponomaryov, a lawmaker in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has been placed on the international wanted list in connection with the Skolkovo Foundation embezzlement case, an investigator said in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow on Friday.

“Ponomaryov has been placed on the international wanted list because he is living outside Russia,” Sergei Chernyshov said, adding that investigators have evidence of his guilt of embezzlement.
Interpol will launch the hunt for Ponomaryov if a court issues an arrest warrant for him.

Ponomaryov’s attorney Maria Bast said in court that her client had repaid his debt to the Skolkovo Foundation.

Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin opened a case against Ponomaryov on suspicion of embezzlement of Skolkovo funds. Charges were brought against the MP in absentia.

Ponomaryov, who is living abroad, has denied the charges and has refused to return to Russia for questioning. He said he did not trust Russian courts but would talk with investigators by telephone, via Skype or Viber, or on Facebook.

Investigators claim that Ponomaryov assisted former Skolkovo Vice President Alexei Beltyukov in the embezzlement of over 22 million rubles (over $386,000) in foundation money.

Beltyukov allegedly paid Ponomaryov $750,000 of the foundation's money, without management approval, for lectures and research projects between February 2011 and February 2012.

An investigation was launched into Beltyukov's actions to analyze the subject, the content and the academic value of the lectures that Ponomaryov was contracted to provide for 22 million rubles. Ponomaryov has pleaded not guilty. He claims the accusations are politically motivated.

The Investigative Committee reported in May that it has opened an embezzlement case against Beltyukov.

In August 2013, Moscow's Gagarinsky District Court ruled that Ponomaryov must pay 2.7 million rubles to the Skolkovo Foundation, Russia's high-tech development center, for an unreasonably overpriced service. The Moscow City Court upheld the ruling in November.