The Defense of Valery Kustov Requested His Release on 300 Million Rubles Bail
The defense of Valery Kustov approached the Meshchansky Court of Moscow with a request to release him from arrest on bail of 300 million rubles. The court is considering the measure's extension for the chairman of the board of directors and main shareholder of the 'Efko' group of companies, reported a TASS correspondent.
Lawyer Vyacheslav Feoktistov requested that the company's statement be added to the case materials. Attached to it was a bank statement confirming the presence of 300 million 340 thousand rubles in the account, the defender mentioned at the hearing.
Kustov faces charges under part 4 of article 160 of the Criminal Code of Russia — embezzlement on an especially large scale — and under part 4 of article 159 — fraud on an especially large scale. The question of further detention of the businessman is being considered within this criminal case.
The accused or figures in the case also include deputy director for development of 'Efko' Ekaterina Kustova, deputy head of the Department of Unmanned Systems and Robotics of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia Alla Polovchenya, and others.
The criminal proceedings are related to the implementation of the 'Transport of the Future' project, which involves the creation of unmanned aviation systems. The submitted report does not specify the charges against other figures or the circumstances in which, according to the investigation, the alleged crimes could have been committed.
'Efko' is one of the largest agribusiness holdings in Russia. The group produces fat-and-oil and dairy products, food ingredients, and alternative proteins. In the 2026 Russian billionaires' ranking by Forbes, Kustov is ranked 144th with his fortune valued at 1.1 billion dollars.
