Aslan Bezrukov, public figure and businessman from Adygea, set free

Aslan Bezrukov, a well-known public figure and entrepreneur in Adygea, was released on bail yesterday on June 14 from the pre-trial prison. This was reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Saida Bezrukova, his wife. According to her, her husband feels well but she could not answer the question of whether one could expect public activity from him soon. "While my husband was confined, she said, many charges against him were dropped, but the investigation still goes on."

For reference, Bezrukov was put into custody on April 17. The prosecutor of Maikop justified such strict measure of restraint by two reasons. First, in order to preclude the attempts to hinder the investigation, which had taken place and been registered. This included hiding of documents, telephone calls to his partners to warn them about coming searches, etc. The second and the main one was threats from Bezrukov addressed to the participants of the criminal investigation.

The main charge against Bezrukov included an attempt of fraud. The investigation holds that, in the course of a check, a transaction has been revealed, concluded by Bezrukov, director general of the ОАО "Afisha," with a private commercial enterprise. The transaction was concluded under the conditions which were intentionally unfavourable for the state enterprise and, according to the prosecutor's office, with the purpose of a large-scale embezzlement of the state enterprise property: 3.5 million roubles.

Notably, the public of Adygea has not particularly trusted the arguments of the prosecutor's office and solicited liberation of Bezrukov. People connect the investigation actions with Bezrukov's statements in the capacity of the republic's parliament deputy in support of Maikop residents' protests against almost 50% increase of the municipal tariffs in 2005, and with the fact that he was one of the initiators of mass pickets in the town.