The investigation has introduced a fresh charge against businessman Albert Khudoyan, who previously faced conviction for diverting assets valued at 4.2 billion rubles from a business associate. This claim surfaced through REN TV reports.
According to the source, the former head of Optima Development stands accused of another large-scale theft, this time involving Aviacity LLC and assets amounting to 3.74 billion rubles. Investigators indicate that between 2015 and 2019 Khudoyan appropriated a substantial portion of the company’s authorized capital, draining it to an extent that raised serious concerns about financial integrity and governance.
Prosecutors have filed petitions seeking Khudoyan’s arrest for investigative measures. At present, he remains in a penal colony serving his initial sentence for theft, a disposition that has kept him from active participation in any ongoing business activities.
Khudoyan’s detention dates back to June 2019, when a criminal case was opened under part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, categorized under “particularly large-scale fraud.” The court initially imposed a six-year term, a sentence later increased to eight years on appeal, reflecting the gravity of the alleged offenses and the seriousness with which regional judiciary authorities viewed the scheme.
The Investigative Committee identified several individuals as accomplices, including generals from the Interior Ministry—Alexander Krakovsky, Alexander Biryukov, and Alexander Bryantsev. Subsequent events included a presidential decree by Vladimir Putin dismissing Colonel-General Alexander Romanov from his post as deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and head of the department’s investigative unit, a move linked to the commanders who were overseeing the operations tied to the case.
Additional disclosures indicated that a former head of Rosfinmonitoring provided information to the Kremlin about the criminal plot connected with the so-called “Pushkin cards,” underscoring the breadth of the investigation and the high level of attention the matter attracted at the top echelons of state power. The unfolding sequence of arrests, testimonies, and administrative actions illustrates a broad effort to pursue accountability across both the financial and political spheres and to ensure proper oversight over institutions involved in economic activities that affect public resources and investors.
Throughout the proceedings, authorities repeated that the core issue revolved around the manipulation of corporate assets, misappropriation of capital, and the deployment of resources beyond legally sanctioned boundaries. The cases against Khudoyan and his alleged co-conspirators highlight how governance failures can intertwine with criminal activity, raising questions about corporate controls, due diligence, and the mechanisms that prevent misuse of authorized capital by individuals with substantial influence over private enterprises. The public record indicates a pattern of behavior that prosecutors argue crossed into criminal territory, with substantial financial damages reported in several corporate episodes and a series of procedural steps designed to secure investigations, gather evidence, and pursue appropriate remedies under the law. These developments have kept media attention focused on the case, reflecting ongoing public interest in how such high-profile frauds are investigated and adjudicated, and how consequences are administered within the Russian legal system. In summary, the Khudoyan affair appears to be part of a broader reckoning with corporate crime, one that involves a network of actors across different levels of government and business, and that continues to unfold as new details emerge and judicial processes advance, even as Khudoyan serves his sentence and related petitions proceed through the courts. (citation: REN TV; additional coverage from state and investigative bodies)”