Investigation into Melamed affair extended until March
MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - The term of investigation against former Rusnano head Leonid Melamed, who is accused of organizing the misappropriation of more than 220 million rubles from the funds of the state-run corporation, has been extended until March 11.
An investigator at Moscow's Basmanny court stated as such as the question of extending Melamed's house arrest is about to be decided, an Interfax correspondent reported.
The former Rusnano head is charged with organizing the embezzlement.
According to the investigation theory, Melamed hired Andrei Malyshev and Sergei Ponurov into subordinate positions in the corporation. He then initiated the question of attracting a consulting company to render services to the Rusnano corporation which were not needed.
In 2008, financial director Ponurov, as chairman of the tender committee, who was a party to Melamed's conspiracy, secured victory in a contest for the selection of an adviser to the Alemar company, the co-owner of which was Melamed; after this he worked out a draft contract for services, which was consequently signed by Rusnano deputy head Malyshev.
Thus, from February until July 2009, the corporation's funds, totaling more than 220 million rubles, were spent groundlessly, investigators said.
The Investigative Committee said that Alemar failed to fulfill the tasks stipulated in the contract and presented reprocessed investment projects worked out by employees of the corporation with broken deadlines.
Rusnano spoke of the absence of damage and the lawfulness of actions by the suspects and expressed confidence that during the investigation they would be proved innocent.