MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th December, 2020) A criminal case over alleged large-scale fraud was initiated against Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.
"The Main Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee has collected sufficient data, on the basis of which a criminal case has been initiated against Alexey Navalny and other persons... under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code (large-scale fraud)," Petrenko said.
Investigators established that for the needs of a number of nonprofit organizations, donations had been collected from individuals in the amount of 588 million rubles ($8 million).
Despite the fact that the money was "intended exclusively" for the needs of these organizations, Navalny, as their actual leader, "spent more than 356 million rubles [$4.8 million] of that amount for personal needs," including for "the acquisition of private property, material values and payment of expenses, including recreation abroad."
"Thus, the funds collected from citizens were stolen. At present, investigative actions are being conducted to establish all the circumstances of the crime, as well as other persons involved in its commission," Petrenko said.
