Tweet
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
February 1, 2007 Thursday 11:01 AM EST
Moscow court sanctions arrest of former senator from Kalmykia
Moscow's Basmanny Court on Thursday sanctioned a two-month arrest of
former Federation Council member, senator from Kalmykia Levon
Chakhmakhchian.
The court thereby met the petition of the prosecutors who said that
``Chakhmakhchian, if at large, may hide or put pressure on
investigators.''
Prosecutors said Chakhmakhchian has stepped down from his post, he is
no longer eligible for deputy's immunity.
In passing the decision, the court agreed with prosecutor Anton
Tronin's arguments, saying they were justified.
``Staying at large, Chakhmakhchian may negatively influence witnesses
and induce them into testifying in his favor,'' the judge ruled.
The ex senator is suspected of being involved in a grand fraud
committed by an organized group, which is punishable by five to ten
years in jail.
The ex senator's lawyer, Boris Kuznetsov, intends to appeal the
decision on Chakhmakhchian's arrest at a higher court.
Chakhmakhchian still enjoys deputy's immunity, meanwhile, the Supreme
Court ruling that corpus delicti exists in his actions, did not take
effect.
But the court found the arguments unsound, citing that ``lodging an
appeal cannot suspend investigative actions against the suspect.''
Chakhmakhchian stated in court that ``does not intend to run away and
that he had not been hiding from anybody.''
He also stated he had been brought to the court and the prosecutor's
office illegally.
The former senator was detained in hospital on Thursday morning.
Kuznetsov protested the detention as ``the Supreme Court ruling that
corpus delicti exists in his actions, did not take effect as we
lodged an appeal on time. The Supreme Court will consider it on March
6.''
Chakhmakhchian refused to testify at the Prosecutor General's Office.
Chief accountant of the Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation
Association Igor Arushanov and assistant auditor of the Audit Chamber
Armen Oganesian were detained on suspicions of bribe taking in Moscow
on June 2, 2006.
According to the investigators, they tried to extort from a
businessman 1.5 million dollars, promising to take out negative
information from an audit act of the Audit Chamber. Police agents
confiscated 300,000 marked dollars during the detention operation in
the office, where Chakhmakhchian happened to be at that time.
As a member of the Federation Council, Chakhmakhchian enjoyed
immunity, and no measures of restraint were taken against him.
Kalmykia's Parliament terminated Chakhmakhchian's powers ahead of
time at the request of Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov on
June 23, 2006.
February 1, 2007 Thursday 11:01 AM EST
Moscow court sanctions arrest of former senator from Kalmykia
Moscow's Basmanny Court on Thursday sanctioned a two-month arrest of
former Federation Council member, senator from Kalmykia Levon
Chakhmakhchian.
The court thereby met the petition of the prosecutors who said that
``Chakhmakhchian, if at large, may hide or put pressure on
investigators.''
Prosecutors said Chakhmakhchian has stepped down from his post, he is
no longer eligible for deputy's immunity.
In passing the decision, the court agreed with prosecutor Anton
Tronin's arguments, saying they were justified.
``Staying at large, Chakhmakhchian may negatively influence witnesses
and induce them into testifying in his favor,'' the judge ruled.
The ex senator is suspected of being involved in a grand fraud
committed by an organized group, which is punishable by five to ten
years in jail.
The ex senator's lawyer, Boris Kuznetsov, intends to appeal the
decision on Chakhmakhchian's arrest at a higher court.
Chakhmakhchian still enjoys deputy's immunity, meanwhile, the Supreme
Court ruling that corpus delicti exists in his actions, did not take
effect.
But the court found the arguments unsound, citing that ``lodging an
appeal cannot suspend investigative actions against the suspect.''
Chakhmakhchian stated in court that ``does not intend to run away and
that he had not been hiding from anybody.''
He also stated he had been brought to the court and the prosecutor's
office illegally.
The former senator was detained in hospital on Thursday morning.
Kuznetsov protested the detention as ``the Supreme Court ruling that
corpus delicti exists in his actions, did not take effect as we
lodged an appeal on time. The Supreme Court will consider it on March
6.''
Chakhmakhchian refused to testify at the Prosecutor General's Office.
Chief accountant of the Russian-Armenian Business Cooperation
Association Igor Arushanov and assistant auditor of the Audit Chamber
Armen Oganesian were detained on suspicions of bribe taking in Moscow
on June 2, 2006.
According to the investigators, they tried to extort from a
businessman 1.5 million dollars, promising to take out negative
information from an audit act of the Audit Chamber. Police agents
confiscated 300,000 marked dollars during the detention operation in
the office, where Chakhmakhchian happened to be at that time.
As a member of the Federation Council, Chakhmakhchian enjoyed
immunity, and no measures of restraint were taken against him.
Kalmykia's Parliament terminated Chakhmakhchian's powers ahead of
time at the request of Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov on
June 23, 2006.