The Supreme Court of Ingushetia has upheld the decision to extend the arrest of Ingushneft executive director Umar Balayev, who is accused of illegal oil production and other crimes. Balayev will remain in custody until November 20, bringing his total time in pretrial detention to more than eight months.
According to the court, Balayev is accused of conducting business activities without a license, large-scale fraud, and abuse of office. According to investigators, in 2023, Balayev, without a license, gave instructions regarding oil production at the Malgobek-Voznesenskoye field. He is also accused of transferring 5 million rubles to the company Hedos for work that was never actually performed. Balayev denies his guilt, and his lawyer, Khusein Guliyev, believes the criminal prosecution is an attempt to remove him from office.
