MOSCOW (AP) – Russia’s former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, now a fierce Kremlin critic, was ordered by court on Friday to return his country residence to the state because of violations during its privatization.
Moscow’s Khoroshevsky district court requested Kasyanov to turn over the residence, located on the Russian capital’s western outskirts, to the Federal Property Agency, Anna Usacheva, a spokeswoman for the Moscow City Court, said in a statement.
Fired by President Vladimir Putin in February 2004, Kasyanov faced fraud and abuse of office charges over the allegations that he had acquired the prized asset through front firms just before leaving office.
He has not been indicted, but the Moscow Arbitration Court has ruled a January 2004 auction of the property invalid. In a February 2006 ruling, the court rejected the authorities’ request to return the property to the state.
Kasyanov, who has become a vocal Kremlin critic and a potential candidate in the March 2008 presidential election, has denounced the case as political and part of the government’s efforts to punish him for his opposition stance.
Kasyanov said the court yielded to official pressure in Friday’s verdict. He called the ruling “totally unfounded” and promised to appeal, the Interfax news agency reported.
