The court extended the arrest of ex-Minister Abyzov in a new case until June 15.

The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow has extended the arrest of Mikhail Abyzov, the former Minister for Open Government Affairs of the Russian Federation, who is serving a sentence for creating a criminal community and other crimes, in a new fraud case until June 15. This was reported by a correspondent of Izvestia.

Several criminal cases were initiated against the former minister, who was arrested in the spring of 2019, in accordance with Part 4 of Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Legalization (laundering) of funds or other property acquired by other persons criminally committed by an organized group"), Article 289 of the Criminal Code ("Illegal participation in entrepreneurial activities").

The defendant is accused of embezzling 4 billion rubles from the companies Siberian Energy Company JSC (Sibeco) and Russian Energy Systems (RES). Abyzov was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a related offense committed against enterprises that are leading energy suppliers in the Novosibirsk region. Later, he was also charged in accordance with Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Fraud on an especially large scale").

Since October 2020, the account of the former Minister for Open Government of the Russian Federation and his ex-wife Ekaterina Sirotenko has been seized as part of the recovery of more than $126 million from him. On December 4, 2023, a correspondent of Izvestia spoke about the State Prosecution's request for Abyzov to serve 19.5 years in prison and confiscate property and securities worth more than 1.5 billion rubles from him and his supporters in the commission of crimes. On October 6, another Izvestia correspondent, who was broadcasting from the Tverskoy courtroom of the capital, reported that the court had arrested the former minister in a new case for another two months.

After a while, the court confirmed Abyzov's verdict in the first case. At that time, it was about fraud on an especially large scale, illegal participation in business activities, money laundering, commercial bribery and other frauds.

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