In the scandalous criminal case on the collapse of the Urban Group, the Savelovsky court arrested in absentia the former co-owner of the company and ex-general director of Ivastroy, Andrey Puchkov. The Russian Investigative Committee accuses the businessman who has fled from Russia of abuse of authority. He is on the international wanted list. The defense of Andrei Puchkov insists on the illegality of the decision, which she already appealed.

The investigators of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia (SS RKR) on the Northern Administrative District of Moscow applied to the court to appeal to Mr. Puchkov as a preventive measure in the form of detention in the Savyolovsky court. However, the very sitting judge Dmitry Neudakhin conducted in the absence of the accused. As the representative of the court, Maria Mikhailova, explained to Kommersant, the investigators immediately announced that the accused had fled abroad and had already been declared an MVD on the international wanted list. The lawyer Natalia Kotenochkina, representing the interests of Andrei Puchkov, objected to the choice of a preventive measure, but Judge Neudakhin agreed with the opinion of the TFR. "The court granted the investigating petition for the arrest of Andrei Puchkov for two months from the time of his arrest in Russia or extradition from abroad," Kommersant was told in court.

Recall that the former co-owner of the Urban Group is charged with the TFR's abuse of authority, which entailed grave consequences (Part 2, Article 201 of the Criminal Code), for which he faces up to ten years in prison. As reported by "Kommersant", the first criminal case after the emergence of problems with the Urban Group was initiated in the middle of last month. At the same time, with the sanction of the court, the investigators, with the support of the operatives, conducted a series of searches both at the company's offices and in the apartments and cottages of its managers.

According to some reports, the reason for the initiation of the investigation were complaints in the TFR of the holders of the Moscow unfinished LC "Laikovo" and the statement of the main owner of the Urban Group, Alexander Dolgin. The latter allegedly told investigators about the illegal activities of an already former partner, who until April of this year was in charge of a unit engaged in selling real estate and advertising.

Andrei Puchkov's lawyers refrained from commenting, only noting that the Savelovsky court's decision on absentia was already appealed as unlawful and unfounded. "Most likely, we will voice our position closer to the date of consideration of our appeal in the Moscow City Court," representatives of the defense explained to Kommersant. At the same time, they nevertheless noted that "the crime that is imputed to Mr. Puchkov is in no way connected with the money of co-investors, but refers to the previous period of his activities." It turns out that while the main claims of the investigation are connected with the statement of Alexander Dolgin.

Correspondence arrest is a formal procedure, which, however, is necessary to confirm an international search. If the court refuses to arrest the wanted person of the criminal case, the search is automatically canceled, and his data is deleted from the Interpol database.