In Rostov, North-Caucasian Military Garrison Court to consider case of embezzlement of 114 million roubles in Chechnya

The criminal case against Zakir Magomedov and Shovkhal Didiev, who were sentenced to nine and eight years of imprisonment on charges of embezzling more than 114 million roubles from the military unit of the regiment of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Chechnya, came to the North-Caucasian Military Garrison Court in Rostov-on- Don.

The exact date of the trial has not been scheduled yet. "The estimated date is the second half of September 2012," a representative of the court has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that, according to investigators, in 2008-2009, Major Sergey Kovalchuk, at that time Chief Financial Officer (Chief Accountant) of the military unit, Ensign Zakir Magomedov, the accountant of the military unit, and Shovkhal Didiev, the inspector of field audits of the Interdistrict Inspection of the Russian Federal Tax Service No. 4 of the Chechen Republic, stole from the military unit more than 114 million roubles more than 12 million roubles in October-November 2008, and 38 million roubles in January 2009. On June 25, 2012, the defendants of the case of embezzlement of 114 million roubles were sentenced to 5-9 year of imprisonment.

The defence has challenged the verdict at the higher instance the North-Caucasian Military Garrison Court. However, according to Sergey Marakov, the lawyer of Shovkhal Didiev, "there is practically no hope for the Court of Appeal." Sergey Marakov has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that in the event "if the Court of Appeal does not pronounce the lawful decision in the case, the defence will appeal the sentence up to the European Court."

"There is no doubt that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will provide an objective assessment of the mass violations, committed by the Russian Federation in the case. If public disclosure of military secrets, confidential information about all ins and outs of the military unit, committed in the present case by investigators and the Court are the Russia's internal affair, then use of torture and violation of rights for defence are in the competence of the European Court of Human Rights," the lawyer Sergey Marakov stated.