Yevgeny Adamov, 67, has been in custody for almost a year after being arrested in Switzerland at the request of the United States and has been in a Russian prison for the past five and a half months after being extradited to face charges of embezzlement and abuse of office at the start of the year.
His defense has consistently argued his innocence and today lawyer Genri Reznik went a step further saying that investigator Gennady Kuklo, acting Prosecutor General Yury Biryukov and a Moscow City Court judge, Nina Sharapova, should be charged with abuse of office.
Reznik said Kuklo should be put on trial for allegedly forging evidence because documents he produced in court May 23 to secure an extension of Adamov's custody for two months did not correspond to reality.
"All of the court's rulings were based on false information," Reznik said. "First, the warrant for Adamov's arrest was obtained because he was not living at his home address, even though he was known to have been detained in Switzerland on the request of the United States on May 2."
The attorney also said that the Prosecutor General's Office had opened a criminal case against Adamov on May 13 and requested that he be kept in custody because he might escape when he was delivered in Russia.
Reznik said a criminal case had also been filed in a Moscow district court against a security service officer, Lieutenant General Anatoly Groshev, on charges of falsifying evidence. The lawyer said Groshev submitted a document convincing the court that Adamov might exert pressure on witnesses and influence the investigation.
On May 23, the Moscow City Court extended Adamov's custody until August 8, rejecting defense lawyers' arguments that the charges should be dropped.
Prosecutors said the former minister, who served from 1998 to 2001, was a leader of an organized criminal group whose members were on an international wanted list and that he should be remanded in custody to prevent him from influencing witnesses.
The United States accused Adamov of misappropriating $9 million given to Russia for nuclear safety projects. He would have faced 60 years in prison if convicted in the U.S.
