Basmanny Court in Moscow arrests deputy Yeghiazaryan in absentia

The Basmanny Court of Moscow today authorized the arrest of the State
Duma deputy Ashot Yeghiazaryan on accusations of fraud, the deputy’s
attorney Dmitry Barannikov has announced, RIA Novosti reports.

He added that he intends to appeal this decision to the appellate
court - the Moscow City Court.

The criminal case against the deputy, who according to media reports
is now living in the US, provides for imprisonment for up to ten
years. In November last year the Investigative Committee of the
Russian Federation issued an international arrest warrant for
Yeghiazaryan.

According to investigators, in 2002 and 2003 Yeghiazaryan invited his
close friend Michael Ananyev to take part in financing the
construction of a shopping complex on the Rublevsky highway in Moscow
and reconstruction of the Moscow Hotel on condition of granting him a
further interest in accordance with the investments.

The investigation believes that Yeghiazaryan broke the agreement and
spent more than 500 million rubles he received from Ananyev on his own
needs.