The Novosibirsk Regional Court has extended the arrest of former Novosibirsk Vice Mayor Aleksandr Solodkin and former Deputy Head of the Regional Federal Drug Control Service Andrei Andreyev until December 15, TASS reports . They are accused of having ties to Aleksandr Trunov's organized crime group. Judge Larisa Chub decided that the grounds on which their preventive measures were chosen have not changed. Previously, the term of detention for both defendants was extended until September 15. The judge decided that she would not be able to make a decision on their case before that date. The defendants' defense asked to change the preventive measures to one not involving imprisonment and release them from custody.

Alexander Solodkin and Andrei Andreev have been under arrest for more than five years.

Solodkin's father, former adviser to the governor of Novosibirsk Oblast on sports, Aleksandr Solodkin Sr., who is also a defendant in this case, has been under house arrest since September 2014.

On April 21, state prosecutor Anzhelika Egorova asked the court to impose real terms in a maximum security penal colony and fines for all defendants: Solodkin Jr. - 13.5 years and 950,000 rubles, Solodkin Sr. - 14 years and 805,000 rubles, Andreev - 15 years and also 805,000 rubles.

The state prosecution asked the court to find the Solodkins, father and son, guilty of leading an organized criminal group, Andrei Andreev of participating in a criminal organization, and all three of them guilty of fraud using their official position. In addition, it demands that the Solodkins be found guilty of extortion, the younger Solodkin of setting fire to two cars, i.e., intentionally destroying someone else's property, and obstructing justice using their official position. The elder Solodkin is guilty of attempting to murder Novosibirsk businessman Frunzik Khachatryan, and Andreev is guilty of abuse of office.

According to the prosecutor's office, the Solodkins joined Trunov's organized crime group in 1997. There they headed a structural unit that was engaged in searching for economic entities in order to establish control over their financial and economic activities, and establishing contacts with government officials and law enforcement agencies.

All three defendants deny their guilt and claim that they were slandered by high-ranking security officials.

The Trunov group operated in Novosibirsk since the late 1990s and was neutralized in 2009. Trunov was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2012.

The court extended the arrest of former Novosibirsk vice-mayor Solodkin until December 15