Sochi: defence of ex-Vice Mayor Vronsky demands from current Mayor to appear at trial

At the trial in Sochi of Oleg Vronsky, the former city Vice Mayor, and Anzor Pruidze, Director General of the LLC "Yugspetsstroy", the prosecution witnesses have evidenced. The defence demands from the incumbent Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov to appear at the trial, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported about the start of the trial about an issuance of a permit to build a high-rise building in central Sochi. Oleg Vronsky is charged with abuse of power (Part 1, Article 286, of the Russian Criminal Code). According to investigators, he sanctioned the erection of a high-rise building on the land plot located at the corner of Sokolov Street and Kurortny Avenue. The Prosecutor's Office believes that the high-rise building was built illegally. As to Anzor Pruidze, he is charged with "incitement to crime" (Part 4, Article 33, and Article 286 of the Criminal Code).

On September 16, out of 39 prosecution witnesses, only four appeared at the court session and were questioned.

The state prosecutor wanted to announce the testimony of the current Mayor of Sochi Anatoly Pakhomov, which he gave to investigators in relation to the case, but the defendants and their advocates have strongly objected. They said that many things in Pakhomov's testimony are not clear; and they would like to personally ask him questions, as a prosecution witnesses.

The judge satisfied the demand and scheduled the next session for September 17, where he repeatedly summoned Anatoly Pakhomov and other non-appeared witnesses.

"The Mayor is in charge of everything that happens in the city, including the actions of his subordinates," Lyudmila Shestak, a member of the City Assembly of Sochi, who is present at the trial as an audience, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.