Russian investigators detain economic minister on bribery charges

MOSCOW, Nov 15 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Investigative Committee has detained Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev and launched a criminal case against him on charges of receiving a massive bribe, the committee said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to investigators, Ulyukayev received a U.S. $2 million bribe on Monday for granting the ministry’s approval that allowed state-owned oil major Rosneft to buy the government’s 50.08% stake in oil company Bashneft.

Svetlana Petrenko, the acting head of the committee’s public relations department, told PRIME that Ulyukayev was caught with red-handed when receiving the bribe, and he was also involved in extorting money from Rosneft.

The purchase of Bashneft was legitimate, and the case does not investigate the deal’s legitimacy, Petrenko added.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said that the charges are very serious and have to be proven. “It is night right now. I don’t know whether it was reported to the president. The charges are very serious, and they need serious proof. Anyway, it is only court that is able to decide here,” he said.

Rosneft and the Economic Development Ministry declined to comment. Ulyukayev’s press secretary is now flying to Peru to take part in a meeting of ministers of the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation countries, where Ulyukayev was to be on Thursday and Friday.

A source in the law enforcement authorities told PRIME that Ulyukayev has been monitored by the Federal Security Service FSB for more than a year, and the investigation was launched on the basis of results of the monitoring report.

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