A court in Karachay-Cherkessia extended the pretrial detention of former minister Dmitry Bugayev.

The Cherkessk City Court extended the pretrial detention of Dmitry Bugayev, former Minister of Property and Land Relations of Karachay-Cherkessia, for four months. He is accused of abuse of office, resulting in 16.7 million rubles in budget losses.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in mid-May, the Cherkessk City Court seized 22 properties and three cars from Dmitry Bugayev, former Minister of Property and Land Relations of Karachay-Cherkessia. He was also ordered to pay over 64 million rubles.

According to investigators, in 2019, Bugayev, while serving as the Minister of Property and Land Relations of Karachay-Cherkessia, organized a sham auction to sell republican property transferred to the regional treasury from the Karachay-Cherkess Republic state enterprise Teploenergo, Interfax reported today, citing the court's press service.

Bugayev ensured the victory of a legal entity he controlled by excluding potential competitors. Following the sham auction, the property was sold at a reduced price. The damage to the Karachay-Cherkessia budget amounted to more than 16,746,000 rubles, the court noted.

"Bugayev's detention has been extended by four months, until August 7, 2026," the statement read.

From 2022 to 2025, Dmitry Bugayev headed the ministry. Before that, he served as Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization, Deputy Minister of Education, and Advisor to the Head of the Republic, Kommersant clarified.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that a Moscow court dismissed proceedings in the Prosecutor General's Office's lawsuit to seize the property of Senator Akhmat Salpagarov and 27 other individuals due to a settlement agreement. Demands for the return of Teberda National Park lands to the state were upheld for three individuals.