MOSCOW, July 23 (RAPSI) – Investigators have filed a motion to issue an arrest warrant for Andrey Titarenko, an escaped defendant in a 4 billion-ruble (about $60 million at the current exchange rate) embezzlement case of the former Minister for Open Government affairs Mikhail Abyzov, in absentia, according to the press service of Moscow’s Basmanny District Court.

Titarenko is on the international wanted list. He stands charged with embezzlement and participation in an organized criminal community.

Last week, the court detained three top managers of the Siberian Generating Company (Sibgenco) Yana Balan, Ruslan Vlasov and Oxana Rozhenkova until September 14.

Abyzov is in detention on charges of embezzlement, creation of a criminal community, graft and money laundering.

Investigators believe that Abyzov acting as beneficiary owner of several offshore companies organized a criminal group to steal the money belonging to two energy companies supplying electricity to Siberia. Later, the embezzled funds were moved overseas.