The former general director of Rosnano, Leonid Melamed, accused of embezzling more than 220 million rubles, was released from house arrest. As a source in the FSIN told RBC, he was released "in connection with the expiration of the maximum period of detention." The same informs an informed source of TASS, according to which the former Rosnano director, Svyatoslav Ponurov, who was held in the same case, was also released from the syzo. "On the eve of the expiration of the term of detention of Melamed under house arrest, and Ponurov - in custody, in connection with which they were released," - said the source of TASS. The Prosecutor General's Office did not approve the indictment against Melamed and Ponurov, he added: "The indictment was not approved and returned to the investigator to eliminate violations."

Later this was confirmed by the supervisory authority. The criminal case with the indictment came to the Prosecutor General's Office from the TFR on April 21, TASS reported. "Based on the results of the case study, gross violations of the provisions of the criminal procedural legislation that prevent the confirmation of the indictment and the sending of a criminal case to the court were revealed, and on May 2, 2017 it was returned to the CSO of the SK of Russia for the additional investigation," the agency said. The press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Informed source of Interfax reported that both defendants of the embezzlement case were released on May 10.

 In the Moscow City Court, Interfax was confirmed that they had not received any motions to extend the precautionary measures chosen earlier for the defendants.

Finally, the release of Melamed "RIA Novosti" was confirmed by his lawyer Ruslan Kozhura. "Yes, Leonid Melamed canceled the preventive measure in the form of house arrest, the Prosecutor General's Office did not approve the indictment on the case," he said.

"We do not have information on what procedural grounds the Prosecutor General's Office adopted such a decision. At the same time, it is obvious that the investigation of the case will be continued, "said Kozhura to Interfax. According to him, "the position of Melamed and Ponurov remained the same": "They do not plead guilty to the crime he charged and argue that their actions did not damage Rusnano." Alexander Asnis, the lawyer representing the interests of the corporation, told Interfax that the position of Rosnano had not changed and the state corporation still believes that Melamed and Ponurov did not harm her.

Melamed was under house arrest since July 3, 2015, he does not admit his guilt. Ponurov was arrested on July 7. The witness in the case is the general director of Rosnano Anatoly Chubais, who on his own initiative gave testimony to the investigation on July 10. In his blog, Chubais wrote that the company is convinced that "as a result of further consideration, the innocence of all suspects will be proved." Chubais was misled by the defendants and the investigation was ready to prove to him that the crime was. As Interfax reported in February 2016, this was stated in the written objections of Sergei Mikhailov, investigator of the State Security Service of the Russian Federation, who were read out in the Moscow City Court. If Chubais does not change his point of view, "the investigation will consider the question of his involvement in the crime under investigation," warned Mikhailov.

The last time in March the Moscow City Court extended the preventive measure for Melamed and Ponurov until May 11. The investigation asked them to remain in custody and under house arrest until the beginning of June. At that time, according to the investigator, the accused practically got acquainted with 70 volumes of the criminal case.

In July 2015, the UK initiated a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of 220 million rubles. In the state corporation "Rosnano" in relation to the former managers of the company: Melamed, his deputy Andrei Malyshev and financial director Ponurova. Melamed was placed under house arrest by the decision of the Basmanny Court, Ponurov was arrested, and Malyshev, who has been on treatment for a long time, was arrested in absentia and put on the international wanted list.

According to the investigation, in 2008 and 2009. Melamed, being a co-owner of the investment and financial corporation Alemar (CJSC IFC Alemar), arranged for the corporation to conclude an agreement with the company on consulting services, under the guise of which the former employees of Alemar Malyshev and Ponurov, transferred to the corporation illegally Transferred more than 220 million rubles. According to the investigation, thus, leaving the Rusnano, Melamed secured a so-called golden parachute.

The fact that the investigation of the case was completed was announced in the Moscow City Court on June 27, 2016. Judge Anatoly Kostyukov then reported that the defendants of the case were notified of this on May 25 of that year and on the same day Melamed was charged with the final wording. Ex-CEO of the corporation was charged with organizing embezzlement (Part 3 of Article 33, part 4 of article 160 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, he arranged for Rosnanotech controlled entities: Andrei Malyshev - to the post of deputy chairman of the board, and Svyatoslav Ponurov - to the post of financial director. Then Melamed "initiated the issue of attracting an advisory firm to provide the corporation" Rosnanotech "services, the need for which was not," the investigation confirmed. In 2008, Ponurov, as chairman of the tender committee, being in collusion with Melamed, secured a victory in the tender for selecting an adviser to Alemar, and then drafted a contract on the provision of services, which Malyshev signed in turn. In the future all acts of acceptance of the services rendered by this firm were coordinated by Ponurov and approved by Malyshev. After that, Ponurov signed the invoices for payment. Thus, during the period from February to July 2009, the corporation's funds for a total amount of more than 220 million rubles were unreasonably spent, the investigation believes. At the same time, "Alemar" as a result did not fulfill the works stated in the contract and "submitted the re-executed investment projects developed by the employees of the corporation in violation of the terms. Moreover, the products of this company were not used by Rosnano employees, which is "fully corroborated by the materials of the criminal case".

In early August 2015 it became known that the Moscow Basmanny Court had arrested Leonid Melamed's bank account for 227 million rubles. As lawyer Ruslan Kozhura explained then, the arrest was made at the request of Melamed himself, who, although he does not admit guilt, is ready to cooperate with the investigation, one of the most important functions of which is recovery of the damage. His client offered to deposit funds in a separate bank account to secure compensation for damage if his fault was established by the court. The money itself, according to lawyer Melamed, he borrowed from friends.