Moscow Court extends arrest of ex-Mayor of Astrakhan for two more months
Today, the Basmanny Court of Moscow has extended till March 13 the detention in custody of Mikhail Stolyarov, the former Mayor of Astrakhan, accused of taking bribes.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on last November 13, Mikhail Stolyarov was detained on charges of taking a bribe in the amount of 10 million roubles. On November 15, the Basmanny Court of Moscow sanctioned his arrest, and on November 22, the Court temporary dismissed Mikhail Stolyarov from his position of the Mayor. Mikhail Stolyarov himself denies his guilt and refuses to cooperate with investigators.
The Mayor was dismissed from office; and his advocates tried to convince the Court of the groundlessness and needlessness of keeping him in custody. They asked to release the official on bail or take him under home arrest. Judge Valentina Levashova considered the defence's arguments unconvincing and agreed with the investigators' opinion that Mikhail Stolyarov saved ample opportunities to exert pressure on witnesses. The Judge also considered that being at liberty, Mikhail Stolyarov could obstruct the investigation and justice, the "ITAR-TASS" reports.
![Tumso Abdurakhmanov. Screenshot from video posted by Abu-Saddam Shishani [LIVE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIR3s7AB0Uw](/system/uploads/article_image/image/0001/18460/main_image_Tumso.jpg "Tumso Abdurakhmanov. Screenshot from video posted by Abu-Saddam Shishani [LIVE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIR3s7AB0Uw")