In Moscow, authorities detained a person suspected of embezzling a substantial sum from a lawyer’s bank vault, a move that has drawn significant attention in the capital and beyond.
Moscow’s Presnensky Court ordered the two-month detention of lawyer Yulia Lyga while prosecutors pursue fraud charges tied to the alleged theft of 62.5 million rubles. The case, reported by Kommersant, centers on accusations that the money—held in a bank cell and belonging to a former regional official—was diverted through falsified documents and manipulated power of attorney schemes designed to bypass standard cash-control procedures.
Co-defendants named in the inquiry include Sergei Kotov, Mikhail Nechaev, and Olga Raslina, who serves as an adviser within the Moscow military command structure. The investigation, which was formalized on March 17, alleges that the conspirators moved funds across currencies, exploiting weak points in vault access protocols and document authentication to siphon tens of millions. The materials indicate that the victim is Yevgeny Kashmatov, a former colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who reportedly received an 11-year sentence for prior corruption offenses; his case now forms a focal point for this broader embezzlement inquiry.
The prosecution contends that the scheme progressed through multiple attempts to liquidate or transfer the funds from the secured cell. One participant, Margarita Martirosyan, was previously sentenced to six months after presenting a forged power of attorney to manage the vault. Lyga herself was apprehended by the FSB at her Moscow residence, and officials note she has not admitted guilt as the investigation continues and additional evidence is reviewed.