MOSCOW, October 24 - RAPSI. The Interior Ministry's Investigative Department has summoned former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov for questioning in the criminal case of large-scale fraud in the Bank of Moscow, an official close to the investigation told RIA Novosti.

"Luzhkov and his lawyers have been duly informed that the department would like to question him on the matter," he said.

The Interior Ministry's investigative department opened a criminal case against former Bank of Moscow President Andrey Borodin and his deputy Dmitry Akulinin in late 2010. Borodin and Akulinin were charged with embezzling 12.76 billion rubles ($406 million) from the Moscow budget through a loan to the Premier Estate company in 2010.
Borodin and Akulinin were charged with abuse of power. A Moscow district court sanctioned their arrest in absentia.

The source did not specify the date of the questioning. However, he said the investigators expected to question Luzhkov soon.

The department's press office neither denied nor confirmed the information.

RIA Novosti has yet to reach Luzhkov or his representatives for comments