Russian investigative authorities have dropped murder charges against prominent businessman Ilya Traber and released him from custody, Russian state media reported today, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
Seventy-five-year-old Traber has been a leading figure in Russian business circles in St. Petersburg for decades, where he has made major investments in ports and logistics. He was detained in June in connection with the murder of businessman and politician Alexander Petrov, who was shot dead in 2020, Russian media reported at the time.
Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA announced today that all charges against Traber had been dropped and the investigation against him had been closed. He had previously been released from pre-trial detention for health reasons, TASS reports.
There has been no official reaction from the authorities on the case so far.
Traber's name first became widely known in the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, after he gained control of the seaport and oil terminal of St. Petersburg, at a time when current President Vladimir Putin was the city's deputy mayor.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any close contacts and business ties between Traber and Putin, Reuters notes.