Azernews.Az

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday he expected an unbiased investigation into the embezzlement case against managers of the defense ministry's property services holding company Oboronservis, RIA Novosti reported.

"I think that we are living in a period and in a country where the public dimension given to the investigation eliminates opportunities for hushing this case up. We will hope for an unbiased investigation and avoid premature judgments. It would simply be wrong," the deputy prime minister, who is in charge of the defense industry, told Vesti FM radio.

"I hope that investigators and prosecutors would continue to act in an unbiased and strict way," Rogozin added.

Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said last Thursday Oboronservis managers were under investigation for alleged embezzlement of up to $100 million, by selling off properties at below market value. Some of the properties were in Moscow, which has some of Europe's most expensive real estate.

They are also suspected of using ministry funds to renovate some of the most lucrative properties, and then illegally selling them or renting them out for commercial purposes.

Officers of the Investigative Committee's Main Military Investigation Directorate seized documents from the Defense Ministry's property department and questioned its officials last week.