The Basmanny court extended the arrest for two months of former Minister of Open Government Affairs Mikhail Abyzov, accused of creating a criminal community, TASS reports . Abyzov's defense asked to transfer him to house arrest, but the court considered that the suspect could escape, destroy evidence or put pressure on witnesses, and refused to release the former official.

At the end of March, Abyzov was charged with creating a criminal community, using his official position and fraud. According to investigators, in 2011–2014. the former minister created and led a criminal community; by deceiving the shareholders of the Siberian Energy Company and Regional Electric Networks (RES), he and five other defendants in the case stole 4 billion rubles. and took them abroad.

In addition to Abyzov, the criminal group included one of the former managers of Ru-Com Nikolay Stepanov, Deputy General Director of Ru-Com Maxim Rusakov, Director of Economics and Finance of Remis JSC Galina Fraidenberg, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the First Construction Fund Alexander Pelipasov and former head of the Distribution Zone Sergei Ilyichev . All of them are also in custody. All those involved in the case do not admit their guilt.

In 2012–2018 Abyzov was the Minister for Coordination of Open Government Activities. He was involved in increasing the openness of departments and reforming control and supervisory activities. Before that, he managed to work at RAO UES - he was the deputy of Anatoly Chubais, he was the owner of the E4 group, which was engaged in the construction of power units (later went bankrupt). Forbes estimates Abyzov's fortune at $600 million.

Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti

The court extended the arrest of former minister Abyzov