Yelena Baturina, wife of former Mayor Yury Luzhkov, flew to Moscow on Thursday to face questioning by investigators over million-dollar loans her former company received from Bank of Moscow.
Investigators have sought to speak to Baturina since mid-November in connection with 12.7 billion rubles' ($415 million) worth of loans Bank of Moscow extended to Inteko, a major real estate company in which Baturina had a majority stake.
At the time Inteko received the loans, the Moscow city government owned almost 50 percent of Bank of Moscow.
"I am prepared to give exhaustive answers to all questions interesting investigators. I have already said several times that I am willing to cooperate with the investigation and give evidence as a witness in the Bank of Moscow case," Yelena Baturina told reporters through her spokesperson, Interfax reported.
The Interior Ministry subsequently confirmed that Baturina was being questioned as a witness in the Bank of Moscow loans case, just as her husband was months previously.
Baturina added that she was glad she was finally able to give evidence. "I hope my evidence will help investigators establish the truth," she said.
The real estate tycoon sold her thriving business shortly after her husband was ousted as mayor in 2010 and moved to London.
President Dmitry Medvedev removed Luzhkov from office for "loss of confidence."
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