Russian court transfers tycoon Vekselberg's aides to house arrest-lawyers

A Russian court has ordered two senior executives of firms controlled by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg to be moved from a detention centre, where they have been held since last year, to house arrest, their lawyers said on Monday.

Russian law enforcement officers detained Evgeny Olkhovik, a managing director of Renova, and Boris Vainzikher, chief executive of Renova subsidiary T Plus, in September 2016 under a criminal case into allegations that executives in firms controlled by Vekselberg had bribed regional officials.

The court has decided to transfer both managers to house arrest until Aug. 6, Anatoly Lukinykh, Olkhovik's lawyer, told Reuters. Evgeny Rivkin, lawyers for Vainzikher, said the court had approved the house arrest until Aug 4-5.

The court will then consider possible extension of house arrest, they added.

Vekselberg's Renova group, which has interests in telecoms, mining, and utilities, declined to comment. T Plus also declined to comment.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)