A former defense minister fired after revelations of large-scale embezzlement in his agency is rumored to have fled the country in anticipation of a summons for questioning by the Investigative Committee, a newspaper reported Thursday.
A former ministry official that Anatoly Serdyukov "possibly" left the country after speaking with a number of senior officials. ?
The source said Serdyukov has several official passports under various names, meaning he could escape across the border quickly.
Serdyukov was fired by President Vladimir Putin in November in connection with a $95 million embezzlement scandal at? Oboronservis, a ministry supplier.
Serdyukov is expected to appear for questioning, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin on Thursday.
In an interview with the Moscow Times, a source close to the Defense Ministry expressed doubt that Serdyukov had left the country.
"A person like that, who had access to state secrets, needs special permission from the president, even he is not on active duty," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ?
Putin has been asked repeatedly why no criminal charges have been filed against Serdyukov. His response is that law enforcement officials don't have "demands" against the former official.
Serdyukov is considered a material witness in the scandal. Several others were arrested following announcement of the embezzlement case, including Yelena Vasilyeva, the ministry's former head of the property department — and reportedly the minister's lover.
Vasilyeva remains under house arrest in a 13-room apartment. She? asked the court to request that Serdyukov stay with her.
A senior member of the Investigative Committee said Wednesday? that Serdyukov might be connected? to Vasilyeva's case.
"As far as Serdyukov is concerned, I don't know how deeply he is involved in the case," investigator Petros Garibyan told Ekho Moskvy. "We don't know; we're still investigating."
However, Markin retreated from Garibyan's comments Wednesday, saying that the investigator had expressed his own opinion.
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