MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on Thursday extended detention of Rauf Arashukov and his father Raul as part of a case over organizing a criminal community until January 30, RAPSI was told in the court’s press service.
Moreover, the court prolonged detention of first deputy CEO of Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Stavropol Nikolay Romanov for one month.
The court thus dismissed petitions for release from detention filed by the defendants.
In May, the Federation Council terminated senator’s powers of Rauf Arashukov charged with murder and participating in a gang. According to the Federation Council’s Deputy Chair Yury Vorobyev, an upper house’s commission revealed that Arashukov had not submitted his and his relatives’ tax declarations in time.
In April, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court ordered the seizure of assets belonging to Arashukov. The seizure has been applied to monetary funds, land plots, cars and residential houses.
Rauf Arashukov was arrested and detained in late January. The upper house of parliament stripped him of immunity and gave consent to his prosecution upon an application by the Prosecutor General. He stands charged with murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering.
According to investigators, ex-Federation Council member was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movement’s deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican president’s advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010. Moreover, investigators believe that the former senator is implicated to natural gas embezzlement from Gazprom company.
He has pleaded not guilty.
His father Raul Arashukov is accused in a 30-billion-ruble natural gas embezzlement case ($455 million). He was detained by court in February. Moreover, a court placed branch manager of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol Guzer Khashukoyev, CEO of Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Astrakhan and Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Astrakhan Ruslan Arashukov, first deputy CEO of Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Stavropol Nikolay Romanov and CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol Igor Travinov in jail for the same term.
According to investigation, all of them are involved in gas embezzlement from Gazprom company. The top managers have been allegedly stealing gas from the state-run energy giant over a period of several years.
Raul Arashukov pleads not guilty and calls the case against him fabricated.
