The court extended the arrest of the former head of Komi Gaizer for three months

The Moscow City Court has extended the arrest of the former head of the Komi Republic, Vyacheslav Gaiser, for three months. It is reported by RBC.

The court refused to place Gaiser under house arrest and kept him in custody until December 19.

The investigator and the prosecutor insisted on extending the arrest, referring to the fact that the ex-head of Komi could hide, put pressure on witnesses, hinder the investigation or destroy evidence.

Earlier on Wednesday, during a court hearing, Vyacheslav Gaizer was charged with taking a bribe in a new episode.

“Gaizer has been charged under two episodes of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud) and two episodes of article 290 (bribe),” the judge announced.

In addition, as it became known, the Investigative Committee closed the criminal case against several defendants in the Gaiser case.

According to the lawyer, the defendants confessed and were transferred from the accused to witnesses. The names of the accused have not yet been specified.

Vyacheslav Gaizer is accused of organizing a criminal community and laundering criminal proceeds. Also, charges were brought against his deputy Alexander Chernov, deputy of the Komi State Council Igor Kovzel and financiers Lev Libenzon and Pavel Marushchak. In total, there are 19 defendants in the case. Gaiser's defense insists he has nothing to do with the case and denies the allegations.