Moscow. September 21. INTERFAX.RU - Former vice-premier of the Russian government, Alfred Koch said that he was through a lawyer charged with smuggling.

"Today, the investigator called my lawyer and charged him with the accused, of course, I am accused of smuggling.." - Wrote Koch on Facebook on Monday.

He noted that the picture in which he is accused of smuggling, belongs to an unknown artist, and its price is 197 thousand. 400 rubles.

"While that is no note, damage! Sad ... Dozens of people worked for almost two years ... Experts, interrogations, searches ... Armed men in masks ... As with this material they will go to a German court for my extradition - I'll never know "- wrote Koch.

"Interfax" does not yet have confirmation of this information from law enforcement agencies.

As reported in July, the newspaper "Kommersant", in April, it was reported that a criminal case related to the smuggling, which was the defendant Alfred Koch. The former deputy prime minister was stopped at the airport "Sheremetyevo" when trying to take in Germanuw, where he now lives, a picture, which the owner estimated at 18 thousand. rubles. At the same time on the web is not necessary permits have been issued. Check out the owner of the painting did not interfere with the border guards, but left it as material evidence, a criminal investigation.

Sources told the newspaper that the expertise in the investigation gave a positive result: the signature on the painting, considered graphologists identical autographs Soviet artist's other paintings and the Tretyakov Gallery experts, in turn, came to the conclusion that the author of the test pattern is Isaac Brodsky.