MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) – Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on Friday repeatedly arrested Nikolay Krivash, founder of Akashevskaya poultry factory, who stands charged with giving a bribe to Russia’s Mari El Republic Leonid Markelov, in absentia, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Lawyer Igor Trunov proposed a 5-million-ruble bail (about $84,000) for Krivash.

Earlier, lawyers of Krivash said that he is undergoing medical treatment in Israel where he had left before initiation of criminal proceedings against him. Defense team qualified charges against Krivash as unproved.

On May 22, Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for Krivash in absentia. However, the Moscow City Court later overturned the ruling and remanded the case for retrial.

Investigators believe that Markelov has received a 235-million-ruble bribe ($4 million at the current exchange rate) from Krivash for patronage and assistance in the property payment of funds provided by state support for development of the agricultural complex. Alleged Markelov’s accomplice, head manager of Telecompany 12 Region, Natalia Kozhanova, is charged with mediation in bribery.

Markelov and Kozhanova have been put in detention. Markelov pleaded not guilty to receiving the bribe.

On April 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted voluntary resignation of Markelov, who was governing the region for 16 years.