Former Tatar Justice Minister's Son Placed Under House Arrest

KAZAN, Russia -- A son of the former justice minister of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan has been placed under house arrest.

Russia's Investigative Committee says a court in Kazan on March 5 sentenced Ildar Kormanov, 33, to be confined to his home pending his trial on financial fraud charges.

His father, Midkhat Kormanov, resigned as Tatarstan's justice minister in November after Tatarstan's prosecutor-general, Ildus Nafikov, announced that Ildar Kormanov was suspected of taking a bribe of 47 million rubles ($1,466,000) from a French home-improvement retailer, Leroy Merlin.

The bribe was allegedly in exchange for arranging the utilities for a new store in Kazan.

An energy company established by Ildar Kormanov's mother and father-in-law was allegedly involved in the deal.

With reporting by Interfax