Duma deputy Ashot Egiazaryan was charged in absentia with fraud on a large scale. At the same time he was put on international wanted list. The latter circumstance caused bewilderment of the disgraced MP defense. According to his lawyers, Yeghiazaryan lives in the United States and he has notified the representatives of the investigation on that.

Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation in the evening on Dec. 27 reported that the State Duma deputy Ashot Yeghiazaryan has been put on the international wanted list. Chief Investigation Department of the RF IC made a ruling in adsentia on bringing him in as a defendant in a fraud on a large scale (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code). Previously, he was declared on the federal wanted list, but according to some reports, he went abroad.

Yeghiazaryan does not know yet that he is wanted internationally. His lawyer, Dmitry Barannikov said so to GZT.RU.

"Yesterday I called Ashot Georgievich and told him that I was summoned to the IC to introduce a resolution on bringing my client as a defendant, he said. He does not know that he was unaware he had been declared on an international wanted list warrant, I will tell him the news during our next conversation."

Lawyer called the news strange and illogical.

"A person can be out on wanted list when his/her whereabouts is unknown, he explained. In the meantime, Ashot G. repeatedly appealed to the IC in November and communicated his exact address in the U.S. and the coordinates of his American lawyers. That is a investidators have the data about his whereabouts and has every opportunity for investigation in the United States under a treaty of cooperation between our two countries in criminal matters. "

According to Barannikov, Yeghiazaryan lives in Los Angeles and still declares he is innocent.

Source: GZT.ru, 27.10.2010