Source reports Dagestani minister's escape to Ukraine

On February 27, the house of Ibragim Kazibekov, the Minister of Construction of Dagestan, and his office were searched in connection with the inquiry into the case of Abdusamad Gamidov, the former head of the Dagestani government. Law enforcers planned to detain Kazibekov, but he "escaped from the republic," a law enforcement source has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 6, in Moscow, the court pronounced the decision to take into custody acting Dagestani Prime Minister Abdusamad Gamidov, his deputies Shamil Isaev and Rayudin Yusufov, as well as Shakhabas Shakhov, former Minister for Public Education. They are charged with fraud exceeding 100 million roubles. The officials plead not guilty.

Vladimir Vasiliev, the acting head of Dagestan, said in his comment to the absence of Ibragim Kazibekov that the republic's law enforcement bodies are investigating a criminal case related to the activities of the head of the Ministry of Construction.

Sergey Stepashin, the head of the Supervisory Board of the Assistance Fund for the Reform of the Housing and Communal Services, who is making his working visit to Dagestan, stated that "the Minister of Construction of Dagestan was never found," the Dagestani newspaper "Novoye Delo" has reported.

Ibrahim Kazibekov, presumably, may be hiding in Ukraine, but this information needs to be verified, a source told the "Interfax".

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