MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2022) Kirill Sukhanov, commercial director of Russian tv personality Ksenia Sobchak, was committed to custody on Wednesday pending trial in an extortion case.
Judge Anatoly Belyakov of Moscow's Tver district court ruled that Sukhanov be arrested until at least December 24 on charges of soliciting 11 million rubles ($180,000) from Sergei Chemezov, chief executive of Russian defense giant Rostec.
Sukhanov is suspected of having blackmailed Chemezov, threatening to publish disparaging information about the former KGB officer on social media.
Sukhanov told the court he was ready to admit to receiving 800,000 rubles from the Rostec boss and apologize to him. He is facing up to 15 years in prison and a one million ruble fine if found guilty.
Sukhanov's lawyer, Svetlana Lipatova said his defense team would appeal the ruling. The lawyers insisted on house arrest or a four million ruble bail.
Sobchak, a media personality turned dissident journalist, is said to have left Russia after a raid at her home. A source told Sputnik on condition of anonymity that the 40-year-old crossed into Lithuania from Belarus on foot.
