Request in the making for ex-Rosgranitsa chief Bezdelov's extradition - Interior Ministry
MOSCOW. Oct 28 (Interfax) - Russia will insist that Italy extradite former head of the federal border development agency (Rosgranitsa) Dmitry Bezdelov, who stands accused of misappropriating 1 billion rubles in state assets.
"The Russian Interior Ministry's Interpol Bureau has received a letter from Italian law enforcement services, saying that Dmitry Bezdelov, a Russian citizen suspected of committing fraud, had been arrested," the Interior Ministry's press center informed Interfax.
"The Prosecutor General's Office is preparing a request for his extradition to Russia," the press service said.
Moscow's Tverskoi Court issued an order for Bezdelov's arrest in June 2014.
"A Red Corner notice requiring Bezdelov's arrest and extradition, was issued," the press center said.
A source familiar with the situation told Interfax earlier on Tuesday that Bezdelov was arrested in Rome on October 26, of which the Prosecutor General's Office was notified by the Italian authorities.
"The Italian law enforcement authorities have formally notified the Russian Prosecutor General's Office about the arrest of Bezdelov. He was wanted by Russian investigative bodies via Interpol," the source said.
The source also said that relevant notices have also been received by the Russian Central National Bureau of Interpol and the Russian Interior Ministry's Investigative Department which is probing the criminal case against the former chief of Rosgranitsa.
"A confirmation for Bezdelov's arrest will be forwarded to Rome in the very near future. After that a request for his extradition will be sent to Italy," the source said.
In April 2014, the former Rosgranitsa chief was put on the federal wanted list by the Interior Ministry's Investigative Department. According to the inquiry, he and his accomplices are suspected of stealing almost one billion rubles from the target program titled "The 2003-2011 Russian national border development" worth in total around 150 billion rubles. In 2009, this funding was allocated for construction of a border checkpoint on the border with Abkhazia, but the money ended up in the accounts with the Agrosoyuz bank whose largest beneficiary was Bezdelov's father Alexander.