MOSCOW, November 22 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – Denis Koshurnikov, mayor of Pereslavl-Zalessky, implicated in a criminal case opened on charges of embezzlement of more than 1 billion rubles ($15.5 million) from state-owned technology corporation Rusnano has appealed his detention, RAPSI learnt in Moscow's Basmanny District Court on Tuesday.

Koshurnikov, who was elected mayor in July 2012, is suspected of abuse of office.

According to case papers, Rusnano invested over 1 billion rubles in the construction of NTpharma pharmaceutical complex in Pereslavl-Zalessky, 150 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of Moscow, since 2010. The object had to be completed in September 2012, but the project company repeatedly rescheduled the facility commissioning.

Investigators along with the Interior Ministry and Russia’s Federal Security Service found that construction works at the object had not been conducted for years. However, funds received by NTpharma from Rusnano have been embezzled. Therefore, the facility has not been put into service yet.

Investigators believe that in 2011 two NTpharma top managers, Yevgeny Sultanov and Rustam Ataullakhanov, purchased a land plot from a firm belonging to Koshurnikov to give the appearance of handling of work on the project realization.

As the acquired plot is located within the national park Pleshcheevo, permit issuing for the construction was inadmissible. However, Koshurnikov, then head of Pereslavl region, gave such permit.

Sultanov and Ataullakhanov have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling funds allocated by Rusnano for the pharmaceutical complex construction. On November 18, Sultanov was placed under house arrest; Ataullakhanov was put in detention as well as Koshurnikov.