MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI) – The federal Investigative Committee has placed Sergei Pugachyov, former Russian senator and founder of the bankrupted Mezhprombank, on a wanted list, Kommersant daily reported Thursday.

Mezhprombank was stripped of its banking license on Oct. 5, 2010 and recognized as bankrupt on November 2010. A criminal case on the charges of premeditated bankruptcy was initiated in 2011. Pugachyov isn’t listed officially as one of the bank’s owners, but he is considered to be the real beneficiary of the bank.

The bank’s problems started in July 2010 after it technically defaulted on EUR 200 million in Eurobonds. The bank also cross-defaulted on a EUR 200 million Eurobond issue maturing in 2013. The Bank of Russia revoked Mezhprombank's license in October 2010.

Kommersant’s sources in the Investigative Committee confirmed the authorities’ interest in the former senator, but he evaded contact with law enforcement officials and ignored the subpoenas. The senator was then placed on the federal wanted list, and on the international wanted list subsequently. The nature of the charges brought against Pugachyov were not disclosed, but the daily’s source speculated that it could be large-scale fraud.

In 2012, Russia's Deposit Insurance Agency obtained a French court order to seize a castle in France owned by Pugachyov in order to repay debts to depositors of the tycoon’s embattled bank.

In 2010 The Sunday Times put Pugachyov on the British billionaire list with estimated 750 million pounds worth of assets.