MOSCOW, October 23 (RAPSI) – A criminal case has been opened against Director of the Committee for Civil Rights, a public human rights charity organization, Andrey Mayakov on suspicion of fraud, the Investigative Committee’s press service has told RAPSI.

According to investigators, on October 22, the human rights advocate received 200,000 rubles (over $3,000), a part of a 2.5-million-ruble (about $40,000) tranche of illegal award, from a person sentenced to a long prison term. In his turn, the suspect promised him to assist in carrying out a check of the sentence legality by prosecutors.

However, he had not opportunity to influence prosecutors, according to investigators. Allegedly, he wanted to steal the money, the statement reads.