MOSCOW, March 21 (RAPSI) – The Krasnogorsk City Court in the Moscow Region on Thursday refused to put a stay on the proceedings on a prosecutor’s lawsuit seeking forfeiture of 10-billion-ruble ($150 million) assets owned by ex-head of the Moscow Region’s Serpukhov District Alexander Shestun, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

One of the co-defendants in the lawsuit asked the court to suspend the proceedings until the case against Shestun charged with embezzlement, bribery and abuse of office is finally considered. The court found no grounds to grant the motion.

Prosecutors filed the claim in January.  The former official owns 676 real estate items in the Moscow Region’s Serpukhov district, 2 recreation facilities and 22 cars, according to prosecutors. This property status does not correspond to his income, the Prosecutor General’s Office stated.

Shestun has registered his property in the name of his relatives or trustees to evade declaration and suppression of his actual material position. Some property items have been sold, and the funds received have been converted to his own use or the use of his cronies, according to the prosecution.

On January 18, the Investigative Committee reported that investigators received evidence that Shestun owned land plots worth 2.2 billion rubles ($33 million) aside from other assets found earlier.

According to case papers, between 2008 and 2014, the Serpukhov District administration headed by Shestun illegally transferred four land plots in a local village to the company Center. Damage caused by these actions was estimated at 62 million rubles (about $925,000), investigators claim. Shestun was put in detention. He pleads not guilty.