MOSCOW, April 28 (RAPSI) – The Moscow Commercial Court has granted a claim filed by VTB24 bank seeking bankruptcy of Lazar Markus, the husband of former Vneshprombank president Larisa Markus who stands charged with embezzlement, RAPSI learnt in the court on Friday.

Lazar Markus has earlier become a guarantee under a facility agreement between his wife and VTB24.

In October 2016, the Moscow Commercial Court initiated bankruptcy procedures against Larisa Markus. In January, the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.

Former Vneshprombank president Larisa Markus was arrested in December 2015. A fraud case was opened against the woman.

Investigators claim that the woman along with alleged accomplices created in 2013 an organized crime group to siphon 932.1 million rubles ($14.3 million) from the bank. The group allegedly granted loans to sub-companies and did not refund money to Vneshprombank. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Georgy Bedzhamov, the brother of Larisa Markus, who once co-owned the bank was arrested in absentia and put on a wanted list.

Vneshprombank was one of the top 40 by assets before it lost its license in January.

On December 18, 2015, the Central Bank appointed a temporary administration in the bank for six months to appraise its financial performance. It was revealed that massive transactions had been conducted to transfer assets out of the bank.

In March 2016, the Moscow Commercial Court declared Vneshprombank bankrupt.