MOSCOW, January 12 (RAPSI) – Prosecutors have asked Moscow’s Basmanny District Court to release Denis Koshurnikov, the mayor of Pereslavl-Zalessky allegedly involved in large scale embezzlement, from detention, RIA Novosti reported Thursday.

Investigators earlier filed a motion to extend Koshurnikov’s detention until April 16.

In November, Koshurnikov, implicated in a criminal case on embezzling over one billion rubles ($15.5 million) from state-owned technology corporation Rusnano, was charged with abuse of office and put in detention.

Two other defendants, NTpharma top managers Yevgeny Sultanov and Rustam Ataullakhanov, have been charged with large scale embezzlement.

Investigators believe that in 2011 Ataullakhanov and Sultanov 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.

Investigators claim that Ataullakhanov as a founder of NTpharma has completed control over the company and ordered Sultanov to transfer funds to accounts of controlled firms. Ataullakhanov’s lawyer said that his client has never been a founder of NTpharma and that there is no evidence of embezzlement. Ataullakhanov denies guilt.

According to case papers, Rusnano invested over one 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.

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.