Court extends custody of two figurants in case of sold Nalchik Philharmonic

Today, the Tver Court of Moscow has ruled to extend till December 5 the custody of two senior officials of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), accused of a huge theft of state property by selling the Philharmonic Hall in Nalchik, Ruslan Koblev, an advocate of one of them, has reported.

Three KBR officials, namely, Vladimir Zhamborov, the head of the administration of the republic's leader; Khabdulsalam Ligidov, Minister of State Property and Land Relations; and the latter's former deputy Ruslan Zhamborov, are suspected of committing a fraud while selling the Philharmonic Hall building to entrepreneur Madina Khatsukova for 1 million roubles at the cost of the building of 20 million roubles. The court had ruled to arrest the suspects.

"The court has satisfied investigators' motion to extend the custody for additional four months for Khabdulsalam Ligidov, KBR Minister of State Property and Land Resources, and Ruslan Zhamborov, the head of the Department for the KBR of the Russian Federal Postal Service, the RAPSI quotes the lawyer Ruslan Koblev as saying.

During the court session, the third defendant – Vladimir Zhamborov – had a heart attack. Mr Koblev has told about the circumstances that, in his view, led to the incident.

"After several heart attacks that hit Zhamborov at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), on July 31, he was taken to the Bakulev Medical Centre. Today, contrary to doctors' ban, he was brought to the Tver Court for consideration of the investigators' motion on extending his custody. Right at the session Zhamborov had another heart attack; and he was taken away by an ambulance," said the lawyer.

He has stressed that the defence will address power agencies with a demand to file a case on this fact, the RIA "Novosti" reports.