MOSCOW, December 7 - RAPSI. Former Moscow mayor's wife Yelena Baturina may appear for interrogation over the theft at the Bank of Moscow only after receiving a formal summon from investigators, her attorney Boris Asnis told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Wednesday.
Asnis stressed that Baturina does not conceal her whereabouts in London and Russian investigative authorities can summon her formally for interrogation.
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. Prior to granting the loan the bank additionally issued shares worth about 15 billion rubles ($482 million) which were fully purchased by the Moscow mayors office as one of the bank's major shareholders.
The loan was issued to Premier-Estate company to purchase 58 hectares in western Moscow from Baturina's TD Ramenskoye in 2009. Investigators maintain that bank employees knew the information provided by Premier-Estate on the property pledged as security for the loan was false. Nevertheless, they deceived the bank management in the loan risk appraisal.
Inteco, a company owned by Baturina, insist that the land plot purchase was fully lawful.