Serdyukov's brother-in-law may become internationally wanted suspect - source
MOSCOW. Feb 17 (Interfax) - A decision to issue an international search warrant for Valery Puzikov, a brother-in-law of former Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, is pending, sources familiar with the situation told Interfax.
"A decision to put him on the federal most wanted list was made a short time ago, as the detectives had failed to establish his whereabouts. Once it is clear that the suspect has left the country, an international search warrant will be issued," one of the sources said.
The option will be discussed at the upcoming interview of a witness, Galina Puzikov - the suspect's wife and sister of former minister Serdyukov, he said.
Consistent with the Criminal Procedure Code, the international search warrant will be accompanied with the detectives' request for the arrest of the suspect in absentia, which is essential for filing the search request with Interpol, the other source said.
Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said earlier that the Committee's Main Military Investigative Committee had opened a criminal case against former Deputy General Director of the Defense Ministry's St. Petersburg Engineering and Technological Center Puzikov.
Markin said the brother-in-law of the former minister was suspected of fraud and an embezzlement conspiracy.