Allegation of $2m bribe

Russian economy minister detained

AFP, MOSCOW: Russia’s security service has detained Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev on suspicion of taking a two-million-dollar bribe over a massive deal involving state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, investigators said yesterday.
Ulyukayev is the highest ranking official to be detained over suspected corruption since President Vladimir Putin took power in 2000 and vowed to clamp down on endemic graft.
The 60-year-old minister’s detention has sparked a wave of speculation about whether the case could be linked to an internal power struggle.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main federal investigative body, said the FSB security service, the successor to the KGB, detained Ulyukayev following an operation. It alleged in a statement that Ulyukayev received the money on Monday for giving the go-ahead for Rosneft to acquire a majority stake from the state in Russian oil company Bashneft in a $5.2 billion (4.84 billion euro) deal last month.
The statement does not say who gave the alleged bribe to Ulyukayev.
The sale of the 50.07 per cent stake in Russia’s sixth-largest producer came after months of wrangling that has seen Rosneft—headed by Igor Sechin, a powerful ally of President Vladimir Putin—face down opposition from some in the government.
Ulyukayev had originally opposed the sale but later endorsed it after Putin said it could help fill state coffers.
“The entire sum -- 329.69 billion rubles—will go to the Russian budget,” Ulyukayev said in a statement after the deal on October 12, adding that the government had received only two bids and the other one had been less than the company’s independently assessed value.
The Investigative Committee said Ulyukayev had been detained as part of a probe into large-scale bribe taking, for which he could face a jail term of between eight and 15 years.
It said that it will charge him shortly.
Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told RIA Novosti news agency: “This is about extortion of a bribe from Rosneft representatives accompanied by threats.”

Allegation of $2m bribe

Russian economy minister detained

AFP, MOSCOW: Russias security service has detained Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev on suspicion of taking a two-million-dollar bribe over a massive deal involving state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, investigators said yesterday. Ulyukayev is the highest ranking official to be detained over suspected corruption since President Vladimir Putin took power in 2000 and vowed to clamp down on endemic graft. The 60-year-old ministers detention has sparked a wave of speculation about whether the case could be linked to an internal power struggle. Russias Investigative Committee, the countrys main federal investigative body, said the FSB security service, the successor to the KGB, detained Ulyukayev following an operation. It alleged in a statement that Ulyukayev received the money on Monday for giving the go-ahead for Rosneft to acquire a majority stake from the state in Russian oil company Bashneft in a $5.2 billion (4.84 billion euro) deal last month. The statement does not say who gave the alleged bribe to Ulyukayev. The sale of the 50.07 per cent stake in Russias sixth-largest producer came after months of wrangling that has seen Rosneftheaded by Igor Sechin, a powerful ally of President Vladimir Putinface down opposition from some in the government. Ulyukayev had originally opposed the sale but later endorsed it after Putin said it could help fill state coffers. The entire sum -- 329.69 billion rubleswill go to the Russian budget, Ulyukayev said in a statement after the deal on October 12, adding that the government had received only two bids and the other one had been less than the companys independently assessed value. The Investigative Committee said Ulyukayev had been detained as part of a probe into large-scale bribe taking, for which he could face a jail term of between eight and 15 years. It said that it will charge him shortly. Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told RIA Novosti news agency: This is about extortion of a bribe from Rosneft representatives accompanied by threats.