Prosecutor General's Office demands that more than 32 bln rubles be seized from Abyzov in favor of state

MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax) - The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has demanded the seizure and transfer to the state of 32 billion rubles in funds held by former minister Mikhail Abyzov, the office said on Friday.

"In view of the circumstances, the Prosecutor General's Office filed a claim in court to recover 32.5 billion rubles from Abyzov and foreign companies under his control in the interests of the state. The claim was sent to the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow for consideration on its merits," the office said.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, in the period from May 2012 to May 2018, Abyzov, holding a public office, "systematically violated the prohibitions established by law.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, during the period between May 2012 to May 2018, while holding public office, Abyzov "systematically violated prohibitions established by law."

"Thus, when entering public service, he concealed information about his real property status, in particular, his possession of at least 5 offshore companies and other foreign financial instruments registered in the Republic of Cyprus. As a civil servant, Abyzov did not declare his ownership of the indicated property over a period of 5 years," the office said.

Moreover, during his public service, he continued to engage in entrepreneurial activities, deriving income from legal entities under his control. "At the same time, Abyzov concealed his participation in commercial organizations and received funds from his employer and society. For this purpose, he registered them to front entities and set up operations of shady offices located in residential apartments for the purpose of secrecy," the office said.