Degterev: in Serdyukov's case, investigators omit destruction of Baer Hill in Astrakhan Region

After the interrogation scheduled for December 3, new charges will be filed against Anatoly Serdyukov, ex-Minister of Defence, in connection with the investigation into the case of construction of the "Zhitnoe" Holiday Centre in the Astrakhan Region. This was reported by Vladimir Markin, Spokesman of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

The "Caucasian Knot" reported about the criminal case on the organization of construction of the road to the "Zhitnoe" Holiday Centre, which belonged to Valery Puzikov, Anatoly Serdyukov's son-in-law. On November 28, the ICRF instituted a criminal case under the article of "Negligence" against Anatoly Serdyukov.

At present, the ICRF does not disclose the details of the investigation and refers to the secrecy of the investigation.

"During the investigation into the criminal case against Anatoly Serdyukov, the investigating authorities did not consider the destruction of Baer Hill and theft of clay from it during the construction of the road to the 'Zhitnoe' Holiday Centre in the Astrakhan Region," said Candidate of Legal Sciences Andrei Degterev, an expert on the protection of biological resources of the Volga-Caspian region, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to the expert, the case may be reclassified, and Anatoly Serdyukov may face more serious charges.

Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin suggests that two scenarios for development of the case are possible. "According to the first scenario, the defendant may be acquitted under the article of 'Negligence', if there is a task to close the case, 'to soften the case on the brakes.' And the second scenario may lead to reclassification of the charges in the case into something more serious."

However, it is too early to make the forecasts, since everything "will be considered in the presidential administration," the political analyst notes.