In Rostov-on-Don, defence in case against Pro-Rector claims pressure from OBEP

In Rostov-on-Don, at the trial in the case against Evgeny Aidarkin, Pro-Rector of the Southern Federal University (SFU), the defence claimed pressure from the Prosecutor's Office and the Division for Combating Economic Crime (the so-called OBEP).

According to investigators, in 2007, Evgeny Aidarkin, First Pro-Rector of the SFU, approved tender documents, and after that the university purchased diffractometric equipment at inflated price and the loss reached more than 22.5 million roubles. The defendant is charged under Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation negligence. The trial in the case against Evgeny Aidarkin was started on April 2. The defendant does not admit his guilt.

At the last court session, held on November 15, discussions were postponed to November 26 because of the replacement of the public prosecutor. The defence objected to the replacement; however, the judge granted the motion of prosecutors.

Today, the court session also began with a consideration of the motion, filed by Ekaterina Kozlova, Assistant Prosecutor of the Kirov District of Rostov-on-Don, who requested to replace the public prosecutor.

Yuri Bachurin, the lawyer of the defendant, categorically opposed the motion filed.

"As I said at the recent court session, there are some disagreements between the Investigatory Committee and the Prosecutor's Office; however, this is their problem. Court sessions and discussions have twice been postponed at the request of the Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors simply delay the trial and play for time. During recent days, we were summoned by investigator Kartashov, who conducted the investigation into the criminal case. He summoned us, despite the fact that the case has been already in court since March. Besides, Evgeny Aidarkin was also visited by the OBEP (the Division for combating economic crimes, note of the "Caucasian Knot"), who were engaged or has been engaged in the operational investigation of the case. They threatened the defendant Evgeny Aidarkin to force him to admit his guilt, and later, the court easily pronounced the verdict of guilty. Besides, Marina Borovskaya, new Rector, was summoned by new prosecutor," Yuri Bachurin said.

The lawyer appealed to the judge, chairing in the trial, with a request for help. "We have nowhere else to complain to. We are under unprecedented pressure, and we do not know what to do with all that," the lawyer stated.

However, the public prosecutor Ekaterina Kozlova has noted that the statement of Yuri Bachurin is not relevant to the criminal case under consideration.

"If you treat the investigator's actions as unlawful, you should write a complaint and file it to the court," the public prosecutor commented on the lawyer's statement.