MOSCOW, June 26 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has dismissed an appeal filed by ex-Russian Minister for Open Government affairs Mikhail Abyzov, who stands charged with 4-billion-ruble ($62 million) embezzlement and organizing a gang against extension of his detention, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

He will remain detained until July 25.

Abyzov pleads not guilty. He petitioned for softening the restrictive measure or release on bail.

In April, the court seized 437 million rubles ($7 million) deposited in the bank accounts of Abyzov, two land plots and cottages in the Moscow Region, three flats, four rooms and a car parking space in Moscow belonging to the former minister.

According to investigators, between April 2011 and November 2014, Abyzov, the owner of several offshore companies, organized and headed a criminal group. The defendant along with his accomplices allegedly embezzled 4 billion rubles from Novosibirsk Region’s Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electrical Services generation and transmission corporations and transferred the money abroad.

A criminal case was opened against Abyzov on March 25. The former minister was arrested the next day. On April 3, Moscow’s court detained Abyzov until May 25.

Also, on March 26, the court considered investigators’ motions to detain other alleged members of the criminal group including president of the Novosibirsk Regional Sambo Federation Nikolay Stepanov, board chairman of the First Construction Fund Alexander Pelipasov, deputy CEO of Ru-Com company Maxim Rusakov and finance director of REMIS firm Galina Fraidenberg. Ilichev, who had absconded investigators, was arrested later. Their detention terms were recently extended until late July as well.