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The Main Investigative Department of Russia’s Investigative Committee brought a charge against businessman Levon Hayrapetyan, ‘Kommersant’ newspaper said.

“Being also involved in the case of embezzlement of Bashneft Company’s shares and their legalization, Hayrapetyan is charged with swindling $700,000 in 2010 from the mother of ex-senator of Bashkiria Igor Izmestyev who is now serving a life term. According to a new theory of investigators, Mrs. Izmestyeva gave this money to the businessman for use as a bribe to alleviate the condition of her son. The Office of Prosecutor General earlier refused to approve the indictment in Mr. Hayrapetyan’s case and sent the case for additional investigation,” the mass media reported.

The Office of Prosecutor General did not find the motive of the crime – swindling of money from Igor Izmestyev’s mother, a crime under Article 159 part 4 of the Criminal Code of Russia - imputed to the businessman as convincing: according to the previous theory of investigators, the money was taken from Tamara Izvestyeva for conducting a PR campaign to influence the court decision on the ex-senator’s case. The Prosecutor’s Office said that the claims of Mrs. Izmestyeva about swindling are not enough to establish Levon Hayrapetyan’s guilt. The Prosecutor’s office also said that it does not consider a PR campaign a punishable offence as the accused could not affect court decisions through media reports.

The case against Levon Hayrapetyan accused of fraud in especially large amounts was separated from the high-profile case on embezzlement of Bashneft’s shares, with the head of Sistema Company Vladimir Yervtushenkov and the son of ex-president of Bashkortostan Ural Rakhimov being involved in the case.