MOSCOW, May 23 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow City Court Tuesday extended the custody of former nuclear minister Yevgeny Adamov, facing charges of embezzlement and abuse of office, until August 8.
Prosecutors had demanded Adamov, 67, be remanded in custody, although defense lawyers said Tuesday all charges should be dropped.
Prosecutors asked Moscow City Court to extend Adamov's detention by two more months, claiming that the defense had not yet finished studying the case materials. Defense lawyers said they had finished studying the criminal case on Monday and signed a protocol to that effect.
Prosecutor Valery Lakhtin said the former minister was a leader of an organized criminal group whose members were on an international wanted list.
He said custody was a necessary measure that would prevent Adamov from influencing witnesses.
"According to the Federal Security Service, Adamov is planning to drag out the case," he added.
Adamov denied the accusation in court, saying that he was interested in a quick investigation.
"Prosecutors have no documents proving my guilt and no witnesses. Accordingly, I have no reasons to influence witnesses," he said.
Adamov's lawyer Genri Reznik said, "Only Adamov could have prevented his extradition to the U.S. Having agreed to a simplified extradition procedure, he ensured his return to Russia."
Reznik condemned the prosecutors' position as lawlessness, saying that his client's detention was illegal.
"This is an intentional, willful and slow killing of Adamov," Reznik said adding that his client had already suffered two heart attacks in jail.
The U.S. accused Adamov, who served as nuclear power minister 1998-2001, 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.
On October 3, the Swiss Federal Justice Department announced it would extradite the former minister to the U.S., but Adamov's defense team filed an appeal with the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland's Supreme Court, in Lausanne in November. The Tribunal ruled to send Adamov to Russia.
