22:00, 14 July 2009

Supreme Court of Ingushetia acquits sports minister accused of embezzlement

The Supreme Court of Ingushetia has acquitted Isa Ozdoev, former minister of physical culture, sports and tourism, who was earlier sentenced to three years of minimum security colony for non-targeted spending of more than 14 million roubles of budget money.

The ex-minister was accused of non-targeted use of the funds allocated on construction of the Palace of Sports in Nazran. On April 27, the Magas District Court found Isa Ozdoev guilty. In May, the defence and the prosecution appealed against the verdict.

According to investigation, a sum of 14.8 million roubles was allotted from the republic's budget on design and prospecting works for erection of a palace of sports in Nazran. In the opinion of law enforcement bodies, the minister had spent the funds differently, namely, to pay for another object - the Palace of Sports in Magas, as the "Kommersant" writes.

The Supreme Court passed its decision on July 7 and immediately released Ozdoev right from the courtroom, the "News of Ingushetia" Agency reports. His defence appealed against the verdict and managed to prove that the case was forged.