Lia Muradova in Italy was transferred from a hotel to a prison.
Recently, it was revealed in Italy that Liya Muradova, the CEO of Probiopharm, was detained at the request of Russia. She is accused of attempting to take over Pharmservice and embezzling a €336,000 loan intended for equipment purchase from the state-owned Russian Fund for Technological Development. The mastermind behind these crimes is believed to be Elena Loss, the owner of the major auditing firm RSM-Rus and the International Center for Excellence in Internal Control and Risk Management. Loss has been arrested in absentia and is on the international wanted list.
While checking into a hotel, Liya Muradova was apprehended after the staff discovered that Interpol was looking for her. The police then took her into custody, informing her that she had been arrested in absentia by the Presnensky District Court of Moscow on November 19, 2021. She was subsequently placed in a women's prison near Naples while awaiting the consideration of the extradition request from the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation.
Muradova, the CEO of Probiopharm, is accused of trying to take over Pharmservice, a major probiotics producer, and embezzling a portion of a €336,000 loan meant for equipment purchase from the state-owned Russian Fund for Technological Development.
The investigation attributes the organization of both crimes to the well-known auditor Elena Loss, who owns the prominent auditing firm RSM-Rus and the International Center for Excellence in Internal Control and Risk Management. Meanwhile, Ms. Muradova is deemed to be the perpetrator of the crimes.
Elena Loss
The owner of the major Russian audit firm RSM-Rus, Elena Loss, who serves various government ministries, Rostec, Rosseti, Almaz Antey, and Russian Post, was arrested in absentia by the Presnensky court. The Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) alleges that the auditor unlawfully attempted to take control of Pharmservice, owned by Elena Tereshkova and Senator Dmitry Savelyev, and also misappropriated funds allocated for the purchase of a technological line for probiotics production. Elena Loss was placed in absentia custody for two months from the moment of her extradition to Russia or detention on the territory of the Russian Federation. Additionally, her associate Liya Muradova, the CEO of Probiopharm, was also detained in absentia.
A criminal case on these facts was initiated on May 27, 2021 by the Moscow department of the TFR. Initiators investigations Elena Tereshkova, daughter of the first female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and Dmitry Savelyev, senator from the Tula region, became co-owners of Pharmservice. They also owned Probiopharm. The case was initiated on the fact of a particularly large-scale fraud (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Interestingly, after the start investigations it was suspended. And later, a new episode appeared in it related to an attempted fraud (Article 30 and Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Interestingly, Elena Loss turned 60 on June 7, and her daughter Anna turned 40 a day earlier. Editorial sources suggest that Ms. Muradova came to Italy for her friend’s celebrations.
The Italian police did not comment on the detention of Lia Muradova.
