MOSCOW, October 28 - RAPSI. Former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov plans to appear before investigators for an interrogation as a witness on November 15, his attorney Henry Reznik told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) on Friday.

"I have agreed on the date for Luzhkov to come to the Investigative Committee with the investigators on November 15," Reznik said.

The committee reported on Friday that Luzhkov failed to come for interrogation on October 28 and his wife Yelena Baturina has ignored several summons. If their absence continues, investigators may resort to measures provided by a criminal procedure.

The committee intends to interrogate the former mayor as a witness in the case of the theft of Bank of Moscow funds.

The Interior Ministry's Investigative Department opened a case against former Bank of Moscow President Andrei Borodin and his deputy Dmitry Akulinin in late 2010. Both are alleged to have defrauded the Moscow government of 12.76 billion rubles ($418.4 million) via a loan issued by the bank to the Premier Estate company. A Moscow district court issued arrest warrants for Borodin and Akulinin in absentia.

Investigators maintain that Borodin, Akulinin and unidentified accomplices inflicted 12.5 billion rubles ($409 million) in damages to the bank.

Earlier, Luzhkov alleged that the interrogation is linked to his recent interview with Radio Liberty on political issues in which he criticized Russia's leaders and the United Russia party.