Paris hands over evidence of Kuban deputy Zirinov's criminal activity to Russian investigators
MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax) - France has handed over to Russian investigators the weapons used by members of a gang led by former Krasnodar parliamentarian, Sergei Zirinov, spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee (RIC) Vladimir Markin said.
On July 30, 2014, the French authorities handed over to the RIC the requested evidence, including firearms and ammunition exposing the criminal activity of the leaders and members of a stable armed group," Markin told Interfax on Tuesday.
The items handed over to Russia will undergo forensic tests in the very near future, he said.
The RIC Main Investigative Directorate continues probing the criminal case against the leaders and members of the stable armed group (gang) led by the ex-member of the Krasnodar Territory Legislative Assembly, Sergei Zirinov, Markin recalled.
"Depending on the role of each, the six accused are charged with murder and attempted murder in aggravated circumstances, banditry and illicit arms trafficking," the RIC spokesman said.
According to the inquiry, the gang members, motivated by their commercial interests, killed the director of the Malaya Bukhta (Small Bay) sanatorium, Vitaly Sadovnichy, and his wife Olga Ivankina, as well as businessman Salman Nabiyev.
"Moreover, investigators believe they were involved in the attempted murder of the deputy leader of the Anapa City Cossack Society, Nikolai Nesterenko, committed in a dangerous fashion, which killed his driver as a result," Markin said.
The data obtained in the course of the inquiry located the evidence of the gang's criminal activity in France, he said.
"The investigator sent a request for legal assistance," the official said.
Two gang members who made pretrial agreements with investigators have already been convicted, two others are still wanted by Interpol, he recalled.