MOSCOW, July 13 (RAPSI) – Investigators additionally charged Krasnoyarsk businessman Anatoly Bykov accused of murders with building and leading a criminal organization, the press service of Russia’s Investigative Committee reported Monday.

According to the investigation, from 1993 to 1995, Bykov in order to become a leader in the regional criminal field, control activities of criminal groups and deriving financial profit lined up organized gangs behind him. Then he coordinated criminal activities of organized criminal organizations to commit grave crimes including murders of criminal lords, the statement reads.

In May,  Bykov was placed in detention on double homicide charges. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, in the first half of 1994, Alexander Naumov, the 23-year old member of a criminal group headed by Bykov, had a conflict with the gang leader because of unjust, according to him, dividing of the joint criminal income. Later, Bykov’s car was exploded. The businessman suspected Naumov and his friend Kirill Voytenko of the blast organization and decided to kill them. He ordered his acquaintance Vladimir Tatarenkov to organize the murder; the latter in turn involved his gang members in the crime. On July 24, 1994, Naumov and Voytenko were shot dead, investigators claimed.

One of the killers Sergey Bakurov was sentenced to life.  Another one is on a wanted list. Tatarenkov was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the Investigative Committee’s statement read.

Investigators claim that many witnesses confirmed that Bykov had business relations with Naumov and a conflict after which the latter was afraid of his life and began wearing body armour.

Three witnesses said that Bykov was a mastermind of the murder. They added that failed to give testimony 26 years ago as they hoped that Bykov would provide assistance to them, according to the Investigative Committee.