Baring Vostok founder Calvey diagnosed with cancer - lawyer
MOSCOW. June 23 (Interfax) - Baring Vostok investment fund founder, U.S. businessman Michael Calvey has been diagnosed with cancer, Calvey's lawyer Timofei Gridnev said.
While the First General-Jurisdiction Appeal Court of Moscow was hearing the appeal against the extension of Calvey's house arrest and the house arrest of other defendants in the Baring Vostok case on Tuesday, Gridnev asked the court to pay attention to the medical documents certifying that the U.S. business has been diagnosed with cancer, an Interfax correspondent said.
As reported earlier, Calvey had hip surgery in the spring.
At a May 7 sitting of the Moscow City Court, which was held in the absence of the media and viewers due to coronavirus restrictions and which extended Calvey's house arrest until the middle of August, Calvey's defense said he was receiving cancer treatment.
Michael Calvey is alright, Calvey's lawyer Timofei Gridnev told Interfax.
"Indeed, my client has recently had surgery in Moscow as part of his cancer therapy. At the moment, he is alright, fully in his faculties, and doctors have given a favorable prognosis," Gridnev said.
"Michael Calvey feels about this ordeal the same as he feels about the process of proving his innocence: he has no doubt he will win, and he thanks everyone for their support. I will make no further comment at the request of my client," the lawyer said.
The First General-Jurisdiction Appeal Court upheld as lawful the extension of the house arrest of U.S. businessman Michael Calvey and other defendants in the Baring Vostok case until the middle of August, an Interfax correspondent reported.
"To uphold the Moscow City Court's judgment dated May 7, 2020, and to dismiss the appeals," the court said.
Just like Calvey, Baring Vostok financial industry partner and French citizen Philippe Delpal, fund partner Vagan Abgaryan, Investment Director Ivan Zyuzin, former General Director of the First Collection Bureau Maxim Vladimirov, and former Vostochny Bank CEO Alexei Kordichev will remain under house arrest until August 13.
The lawyers for all defendants asked the court to ease their restrictive measure, in particular, by allowing walks, or to replace this restrictive measure with a milder one. For example, Calvey's defense suggested bail.
Calvey and other defendants in the Baring Vostok case have been charged with defrauding Vostochny Bank, which was partially controlled by the investment fund, of 2.5 billion rubles in a non-performing loan granted to the First Collection Bureau in December 2015.
None of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Calvey links the criminal case to a corporate dispute over control of Vostochny Bank and has said it was initiated by the fund's opponents, bank shareholders Artyom Avetisyan and Sherzod Yusupov.