MOSCOW, August 23 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Nikulinsky District Court has declined to reconsider a ruling on forfeiture of property worth nearly 9 billion rubles ($131 million at the current exchange rate) owned by the former Russian anti-corruption official Dmitry Zakharchenko charged with corruption crimes and his relatives to the State, lawyer Alexander Gorbatenko has told RAPSI.

According to the attorney, this decision will be challenged in a court of appeals and other higher courts.

On July 12, the Investigative Committee reported transfer of 9 billion rubles to its bank accounts.

Earlier, a court granted a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office and confiscated money and property belonging to Zakharachenko and his relatives. Overall, the property in this case is evaluated at 9 billion rubles, including 27 real estate objects in elite neighborhoods of Moscow, 4 high-end automobiles, 8 billion rubles (about $116.4 million) and a gold bar. The ruling came into force in March.

Ex-Russian anti-corruption official Dmitry Zakharchenko was arrested on September 8, 2016. During searches at the apartment belonging to Zakharchenko’s sister law enforcement officers found around 9 billion rubles. He denied any relation to seized funds.

Zakharchenko was charged with receiving a 7-million-ruble ($102,000) bribe from an unknown source. He has also been charged with abuse of office and hindering the conduct of preliminary investigation. In March, it was revealed that he is charged with two more instances of corruption crimes.

According to case papers, Viktor Zakharchenko, the father of ex-official, is charged with being an accessory to embezzlement. He also pleaded not guilty.