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Ex-Moscow mayor Luzhkov gives vague answers during questioning

15 November 2011 21:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov was questioned over a fraud case at the Interior Ministry and answered investigators’ questions using "general phrases,â€ a ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

â€œLuzhkov answered the questions using general phrases. In this regard the investigators plan to look into Luzhkovâ€™s testimony and if something is important, he will be asked more specific questions,â€ the spokesperson said.

The case involves the Bank of Moscow, partly-owned by the Russian capitalâ€™s city government during Luzhkovâ€™s term in office, which lent 12.76 billion rubles ($413.3 million) to an obscure real estate firm. The firm used the money to buy land for a construction company owned by Luzhkovâ€™s billionaire wife, Yelena Baturina, at prices investigators said were inflated.

The 75-year-old ex-mayor has been accused of using his post to help Baturina amass her fortune, a claim he denies.

The Investigating Committee summoned Yelena Baturina for questioning but she has ignored investigators. Yury Luzhkov on Tuesday was given a summons addressed to his wife which he promised to deliver.

â€œHe was given a summons that he should give to his wife and he promised to do it,â€ the spokesperson said.

Earlier, Luzhkov in an interview that he had forbidden his wife, who is presently abroad, from returning to Moscow â€œas there are no guarantees that she will be able to return to her children.â€