Sources of Novaya Gazeta: Ulyukaev did not take money into his hands
The head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukaev, did not personally receive the money, which the Investigative Committee calls a bribe, FSB sources told Novaya Gazeta. According to them, the funds in the amount of $2 million were in a safe deposit box (the name of the bank was not specified), but "Ulyukaev himself did not withdraw the money."
At the same time, the materials of operational and technical measures carried out on the initiative and with the direct participation of the head of the security service of PJSC NK Rosneft Oleg Feoktistov, “indicate the presence of the minister’s claims for this money,” they say.
Official commentary of the Investigative Committee. In a conversation with a Novaya Gazeta correspondent, Svetlana Petrenko, a representative of the department, denied the information of our source that the money was in the cell. However, Petrenko refused to provide operational comments on the circumstances of the detention of the Minister of Economic Development.
The fact that the head of the Ministry of Economic Development did not take money into his hands, but became a victim of a provocation, was also stated by Ulyukaev's lawyer Timofey Gridnev during a meeting of the Basmanny Court to determine a measure of restraint, which took place on Tuesday evening.
Only during this meeting, the Investigative Committee announced the materials of the ORD, audio and video recordings attached by the court to the case, as well as the testimony of witnesses, allegedly confirming the guilt of Alexei Ulyukaev.
$2 million - how much is that in grams?
The weight of 1 $100 bill = 1 gram.
1 million dollars is 10,000 bills, or 10,000 grams.
$2 million is 20 kilograms.
Quite a heavy burden.
Who exactly from the security forces developed Ulyukaev (updated)
According to our sources, the primary case of operational accounting (DOA), on the basis of which telephone conversations were tapped and information was taken from technical communication channels on Ulyukaev’s mobile devices for a long time, was opened by the detective of the 6th service of the FSB CSS about a year ago.
As a result of personnel reshuffles in the CSS of the FSB, in the fall of this year, the former head of the 6th service of the CSS of the FSB, Ivan Tkachev, who is considered a creature of Oleg Feoktistov, headed the Directorate "K" of the FSB (carries out counterintelligence activities in the credit and financial sphere).
Oleg Feoktistov took over as head of the oil company's security service as a seconded FSB officer in August 2016, and prior to that he served as First Deputy Head of the Internal Security Directorate (SSD) of the FSB. “Being in the status of the APS (apparatus of seconded employees - Novaya Gazeta), he [Feoktistov] has the same powers as the current FSB officer, namely, the full range of opportunities for conducting operational and search activities: making inquiries, conducting identification , a decree on wiretapping of telephone conversations, ”the source explains.
In addition, Novaya Gazeta's sources remind that a seconded employee of the FSB Department "K" worked in the Ministry of Economic Development, who could assist in collecting information about the minister.
It was the 3rd department of the Directorate "K" of the FSB, which oversees the activities of the Ministry of Economic Development, that participated in the detention of Alexei Ulyukaev.
New details of the special operation
According to another Novaya Gazeta source familiar with the course of the special operation, it consisted of two stages. At the first stage, negotiations were fixed with the participation of the minister, this was between six and seven o'clock in the evening on Monday. And the arrest itself was made at night.
This version is indirectly supported by the comment of Alexei Ulyukaev's lawyer Timofey Gridnev on BFM: “Alexey Valentinovich did not admit his guilt. He believes that what happened yesterday at the Rosneft office is a provocation against a government official.”
That is, Ulyukaev connects the charge brought against him with a meeting at the Rosneft office, but it is obvious that no arrests were made either during or immediately after this meeting.
Rumors about the detention of the plane with Ulyukaev's assistants are fake
Novaya Gazeta contacted Aleksey Ulyukaev's press secretary Elena Lashkina, who heard rumors about her detention at the airport in Peru.
On the day before his arrest, Aleksei Ulyukaev “was calm and full of plans for the future”
This was told to Novaya Gazeta by political scientist Kirill Rogov, who personally attended a meeting with the minister on November 14. More about the meeting.
What everyone knows
Circumstances of detention: night
At half past two on November 15, the Investigative Committee announced the initiation of a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev under the article "receiving a bribe on an especially large scale." According to investigators, on November 14, Ulyukaev received a $2 million bribe for his agency's positive assessment that allowed Rosneft to privatize the state-owned stake in Bashneft.
What is Ulyukaev charged with?
Either “taking a bribe on an especially large scale”, or “extorting a bribe”. These are different crimes.
In the first case ( receiving a bribe) the fact of the transfer of money must be recorded. And the accused can face from 8 to 15 years in prison.
In the second case ( extortion) the bribe might not have been handed over personally. The speaker of the UK, Svetlana Petrenko, said that Ulyukaev allegedly threatened the representatives of Rosneft.
“We are talking about extortion of a bribe, coupled with threats to representatives of Rosneft. Ulyukaev was caught red-handed while receiving money, ”Petrenko emphasized. (Note that the sources of Novaya Gazeta reported that Ulyukaev did not take a bribe)
By noon, it is known that Ulyukaev was at least in the morning under interrogation by investigators.
But did it even make sense to give a bribe to Ulyukaev to buy Bashneft shares?
Experts think not. The issue of selling shares in Bashneft to the structure of Igor Sechin went far beyond the competence of Minister Ulyukaev and his apparatus capabilities. But to seriously consider that the minister could change the already made decision of President Putin is simply stupid.
It is even more difficult to believe that Ulyukaev could afford to extort a bribe from Sechin's Rosneft, whose influence is much wider.
Why is Ulyukaeva being asked for house arrest? (updated)
The Investigative Committee petitioned the Basmanny Court for Ulyukaev's house arrest. Given the severity of the alleged crime, this is a very humane requirement. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Ulyukaev, as a federal minister, has access to state secrets. As a result, the court agreed with the investigation and Ulyukaev was placed under house arrest.
When did the operational development of Ulyukaev begin?
A RIA Novosti source claims that “the minister was under the supervision of security officials from the FSB more than a year, it is not known whether there were initially suspicions about him for what he is now accused of, but he was definitely in development for more than a year.
Kremlin's first public reaction
At around 3 a.m., presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on Ulyukaev’s detention, calling the charge “very serious” and noted that the final decision would be made by the court, which, “as you know, did not always agree with the opinion of the investigation.” “It's night now. I don’t know if it was reported to the president,” Peskov said at the time.
Prime Minister Medvedev's first reaction
On Tuesday morning, the media reported on Dmitry Medvedev's conversation with President Putin on the topic of Ulyukaev's detention. Only the general words of the head of government that it was necessary to conduct "the most thorough investigation" were leaked to the media.
Did the president know about the development of Ulyukaev?
Undoubtedly. Soon this was confirmed by Dmitry Peskov. From the very beginning, all the details of Ulyukaev's development were reported to Vladimir Putin, a Kremlin spokesman said.
Rumor: Ulyukaev's resignation was planned
According to Gazeta.Ru, the government was waiting for the resignation of Alexei Ulyukaev. According to the sources of the publication, in October the minister wrote a letter of resignation, and the reason then was allegedly a dispute with the Ministry of Finance about the accuracy of macro forecasts.
Novaya Gazeta has so far been unable to either confirm or deny this rumor.
Opinion: Ulyukaev's case will lead to the resignation of the Medvedev government
This opinion in the public space has already been voiced by the head of the Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov. “This is already at the last line ... This is also a signal that there will be a resignation of the government, that a strong team is required,” he told RIA Novosti.
In a commentary to Novaya Gazeta, Gleb Pavlovsky agreed that serious reshuffles could take place in the economic bloc of the government. However, he does not believe that he can be led by a figure from another camp - for example, Sergei Glazyev. At the same time, Pavlovsky does not exclude the figure of Alexei Kudrin at the head of the economic bloc or even the government.
Kudrin himself on Twitter called for an objective investigation of the "Rosneft-Ulyukaev case."
There are still too many questions regarding the Rosneft-Ulyukaev case. An objective investigation is needed.
— Alexey Kudrin (@Aleksei_Kudrin)
A criminal case has been initiated against the head of the Ministry of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev. He is suspected of taking a bribe of $2 million. The official has been detained, investigators will seek his arrest.
According to the results of the complex of operational measures carried out by the FSB of Russia, the Main Investigation Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, official representative of the Russian Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko told Komsomolskaya Pravda.
The Investigative Committee of Russia also reported the circumstances of the crime.
The detention is related to the receipt on November 14, 2016 by Alexei Ulyukaev, holding a public position, of two million US dollars for a positive assessment issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which allowed PJSC NK Rosneft to carry out a transaction to acquire a state-owned stake in PJSOC Bashneft in the amount of 50 percent. At present, the Minister has been detained and the necessary operational investigative actions are being carried out against him. In the near future, the investigation plans to charge Aleksey Ulyukaev and petition for a preventive measure, Svetlana Petrenko told KP about the details.
The Investigative Committee of Russia clarified that the case was initiated on the grounds of a crime under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (taking a bribe on an especially large scale). This article provides for from 8 to 15 years in prison and a fine in the amount of seventy times the amount of the bribe. If the minister's guilt is proven, the fine could amount to $140 million.
reference
Ulyukaev Alexey Valentinovich 
Born March 23, 1956 in Moscow. Graduated in 1979 from the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. Doctor of Economic Sciences. Professor.
He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Pierre-Mendes France (Grenoble).
From 1982 to 1988 - associate professor at the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute. Then he switched to journalism - he became the head of the editorial department of the Kommunist magazine (by the way, Yegor Gaidar also worked there).
In 1991, he became a political observer in the Moscow News newspaper, and then moved to work in the government as an economic adviser, where he soon headed a group of advisers to the chairman of the Russian government.
In 1994 - 1996 - Deputy Director of the Institute for the Economy in Transition (IET, now - the Gaidar Institute). After that, he goes into politics. For two years he becomes a deputy of the Moscow City Duma. And after the default of 1998, he returned to the IET.
Since the Gaidar Institute has always been one of the main think tanks under the government, Ulyukaev was soon invited to the post of First Deputy Minister of Finance. He served in this position from 2000 to 2004.
The penultimate position is First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia. In June 2013, he was appointed Minister of Economic Development of Russia. As they say in the environment, he was very eager to take this particular position. For several years, he sought this appointment, thus removing Andrei Belousov from this post (he became assistant to the president on economic issues).
In 2016, he was awarded the Stolypin medal of the 1st degree "For merits in solving the strategic tasks of the country's socio-economic development and many years of conscientious work."
Hobbies - writing poetry. Married, has two sons and a daughter.
Investigators intend to petition for the immediate arrest of the minister.
with detention in jail.
http://rusnext.ru/news/1479189487
11/15/2016 at 09:34
POSTSCRIPTUM: And who did he call - the six-fingered five-finger? Poor thing, he couldn’t even believe that with his money they could be arrested?! So it will get off. Too bad there is no confiscation. And such people have no shame ... I think that if Ulyukaev starts to be "pressed", he will hand over everyone who was connected with him! And this is dangerous for the life of this insolent Ulyukaev! He can die suddenly from a stroke or a heart attack, or from a runny nose - this happens, rarely, but it happens in their circle: there is nothing to breathe, his nose is stuffed up, his ears rise up straight, he is shaking all over the bastard ... of course the kirdyk is coming! This is a dangerous disease - spitting. Especially in jail. There, the nose is cleaned with blows of a sledgehammer on the back of the head and the salts pop out immediately. With brains. No protests or demonstrations. In flight. I wish you, Ulyukaev, an unbearable cold." 
On Tuesday night, the Investigative Committee announced the red-handed arrest of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukaev. According to investigators, the minister extorted money and threatened representatives of the Rosneft company. The official received a $2 million bribe for a positive assessment from the agency, which allowed Rosneft to acquire a stake in Bashneft, SK reports. Investigators have no claims against Rosneft itself in the Ulyukaev case.
“If Ulyukaev leaves, then, most likely, Andrey Nikitin, director of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, will be put there,” hints a Gazeta.Ru source close to the Kremlin. The source also suggests that the president gave the go-ahead for the development and arrest of Ulyukaev.
“This is not an easy test for the government. The sale of Bashneft was the key event of the year in economic policy. And if the second key event of the year is the arrest of a key minister for the first key event, this could be a reason for a serious shake-up for the government,” Shokhin said.
According to Alexander Shokhin, hardly anyone in the business environment expected such events. According to him, Alexei Ulyukaev was going to hold a public council of the Ministry of Economic Development in the near future. The RUIE intended to discuss the minister's participation in the RUIE congress on 19 December. The business community did not have any of the suspicions that the investigative committee had.
“If Alexei Ulyukaev was accused of hitting an old woman when he was driving a Glentvagen at an increased speed through Moscow at night, it would have looked more plausible. - said the president of the RSPP Alexander Shokhin. The very wording about a possible bribe for valuing Bashneft, despite the fact that Bashneft was sold at a price that everyone considered the market price, is strange, he said. “No one, neither experts nor officials, had any doubts that Bashneft's price of 329 billion rubles was the market price. Therefore, taking a bribe for a market valuation is a strange accusation. With the influence that Rosneft has on the decision-making process, this is no less a strange accusation.”
It only remains to add here that an especially large amount of a bribe is considered to be an amount exceeding one (1) million rubles. That is, the threshold, if calculated at the rate of the Central Bank, has been exceeded by more than 130 times.
We declare this the number (or information, as you like) of the day. Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Receiving a bribe" - what does it threaten?
The maximum penalty for receiving by an official personally or through an intermediary a bribe in the form of money or other valuables on an especially large scale for the illegal provision of services, action or inaction, for patronage or connivance in the service - a fine up to 100 times the amount of the bribe, deprivation of the right to borrow a number of positions and engage in certain activities for up to 15 years and / or imprisonment also for up to 15 years.
“Ulyukaev is one of the most liberal politicians in the Russian establishment. His arrest will be a truly odious political turn,” Anders Aslund, a senior officer at the Washington Atlantic Council, commented to Gazeta.ru.
In his opinion, the arrest of Ulyukaev is "a qualitative turn in Russian politics, comparable to the murder of Boris Nemtsov."
“The prime minister (Medvedev) finds himself in a zone of reputational risks no less than yesterday’s Tuleev,” Mikhail Vinogradov, president of the Petersburg Politics Foundation, commented on the detention of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, “This threatens his stay in the “comfort zone”, which was in the summer and autumn when even parliamentary parties were banned from trolling Medvedev. Although a lot will depend on how he reacts. Ulyukaev is a symbolic figure in his own way, indicating that the economic department is not headed by Glazyev or Belousov. The situation within the financial and economic block has always been difficult - although it is clear that this is a blow to all relevant departments
And one more quote from the same interview about what hinders Russia's economic growth.
“Corruption is a problem. The level of corruption is high. But just making a statement about the existence of corruption is not enough. Need to do something. And, as I said, transparency is the best way to improve the situation,” Ulyukaev said.
A few quotes from the Minister of Economic Development. Summer 2015 BBC interview.
BBC:... it is important to be honest about the path Russia is on, the factors holding it back, the failure of the reform agenda, but also corruption. Corruption is a destructive tax for entrepreneurs, for growth, for economic development. And corruption is rampant in Russia, don't you agree?
Ulyukaev: Corruption, of course, is an obstacle to economic growth and social stability, the political development of the country. The question is what needs to be done about it. What can be done? The first is transparency. Now my colleagues (in government) and I are obliged to publish not only our income and property, but also our expenses.
Wikipedia users compete in wit, starting a war of edits in an article about Ulyukaev. In particular, the “vandals” suggested writing in the minister’s biography the phrase “didn’t take money”, that he was the minister of corruption, and also that he graduated from the Moscow thieves-slovenly institute.
Rosneft completed the acquisition of the state-owned stake in Bashneft (50.075%) on October 12, paying 329.6 billion rubles. But another 25% remained in the possession of Bashkiria, and about 25% more - in free circulation. At the end of October, Rosneft submitted an application to the FAS for the acquisition of 100% of Bashneft.
Later, a government directive approved by Shuvalov was issued to members of the board of directors of Rosneft representing Russia's interests. There, in particular, it was said that these members of the board should vote for a draft decision providing for the approval of Rosneft's participation in the capital of Bashneft by acquiring a 50.0755% stake in the latter at a price of no more than 330 billion rubles. As a result, Bashneft was acquired by Rosneft without bidding.
Talks about the subsequent sale of the asset into private hands began already then, but Bashneft was officially put in line for privatization only at the end of May 2016. In addition to Rosneft, LUKoil, RussNeft of Mikhail Gutseriev, NNK of the former head of Rosneft Eduard Khudainatov, Tatneft, Tatneftegaz of Sergei Bakhir and the Energia fund of ex-Minister of Energy Igor Yusupov declared their interest in acquiring the asset .
Regarding Rosneft, the authorities argued for a long time - whether one state-owned company could participate in the privatization of another. According to one version, this was the reason for the postponement of privatization, which was announced in August by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. At the end of September, Igor Shuvalov announced the resumption of preparations for the sale of Bashneft and said that there were no restrictions on participation for Rosneft.
The government was waiting for the resignation of Alexei Ulyukaev, sources in the government told Gazeta.Ru. According to them, the minister wrote a letter of resignation in October. The reason was a dispute with the Ministry of Finance about the accuracy of the macro forecast. Ulyukaev insisted that inflation in the base (budget) version of the forecast from 2017 should decrease gradually from 4.6 to 3.9% in 2019. He also insisted that the ruble would also strengthen from 65.5 rubles/$ next year to 64.4 rubles/$ in 2019. The head of the Ministry of Finance, Anton Siluanov, insisted on the unchanged inflation parameters (4% per year for the entire three-year period) and the weakening of the ruble from 67.5 rubles. per dollar in 2017 to 71.1 rubles. per dollar in 2019. In this dispute, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev supported Anton Siluanov. In real money, the Ministry of Finance estimated the difference in forecasts at $300 billion rubles.
Alexei Ulyukaev did not hide his irritation. In the midst of the dispute, he refused to go to Sochi for an economic forum, saying he was ill. Already at the end of September, the Ministry of Economic Development submitted to the government a macro forecast until 2035, in which it predicted Russia's stagnation for all 18 years. According to the most optimistic scenario, GDP growth did not exceed 2% and fluctuated at the level of 1.6% - 1.7%. “The resignation of the minister was expected after the completion of the discussion of the budget in the State Duma,” the source said.
But in the fall of 2014, the Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit to alienate Bashneft into state ownership, since the actions to privatize the company "did not comply with the law, since they were committed by persons who did not have the right to alienate them on their own." As a result of the process, which lasted from the end of 2014 to the beginning of 2015, Yevtushenkov lost Bashneft, and the company was again in the possession of the state.
For now, we will tell you, dear readers, about the difficult fate of the Bashneft company.
Bashneft, considered one of the most attractive assets of the Russian oil industry (primarily due to its refining capacity), was originally owned by the state. In 2009, the son of the former President of Bashkiria, Murtaza Rakhimov, Ural Rakhimov, transferred controlling stakes in the enterprises of the Bashkir fuel and energy complex (Bashneft, Ufaneftekhim, Novoil, Ufaorgsintez, Ufa Oil Refinery, Bashkirnefteprodukt) to four charitable foundations, which, one of versions were under his control.
Later, AFK Sistema of Vladimir Yevtushenkov acquired controlling stakes in the enterprises of the Bashkir fuel and energy complex, paying $ 2 billion, and created a single company on the basis of Bashneft.
In mid-August, the media, having confirmed the information of Gazeta.Ru, reported that in his official letter to Medvedev, Ulyukaev spoke about the lack of legal grounds for the authorities to prevent Rosneft from participating in the privatization of Bashneft.
As stated in the letter, only the issuance of a special restrictive act by the authorities can prevent this. In this case, the block of shares in Bashneft will probably go to the main competitor of Rosneft, the company Lukoil. If such an act is not adopted, Rosneft's chances of expanding and increasing its cost will greatly increase.
Recall that Alexey Ulyukaev spoke in the summer about the privatization of Bashneft and its potential buyers: “I believe that Rosneft is actually a state-owned company. Formally, of course, it belongs to Rosneftegaz, and not to the Federal Property Management Agency, but in fact it is a state-owned company. It means that its participation in privatization is inexpedient”.
Then Ulyukaev said that nine Russian contenders, including Rosneft, expressed their desire to take part in the privatization of the state-owned stake in Bashneft. However, as the minister estimated, the largest Russian oil company is unlikely to be included in the final short list of potential buyers.
The message of the investigators has already been commented on by the press secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov. “This is a very serious accusation that requires very serious evidence,” Peskov told Interfax on Tuesday night. At the same time, he refrained from answering the question of how the detention of the minister would affect the investment image of Russia, concluding that, in any case, only the court would decide the situation. So far there have been no comments from the press secretary of the Prime Minister Natalia Timakova.
Rosneft declined to comment on the Ulyukaev case, saying the privatization deal was completely legal. “The company does not comment on the actions of the Investigative Committee. The block of Bashneft shares was acquired in accordance with Russian legislation on the basis of the best commercial offer made to the operating bank,” Rosneft told Gazeta.Ru.
“During the arrest, Ulyukaev tried to get through to his patrons, but in vain,” Petrenko said.
According to other information that appeared in the media, Ulyukaev was followed for more than a year. As RIA Novosti notes, it is not known whether “there were initially suspicions against him for what he is now accused of, but he was definitely in development for more than a year.”
Ulyukaev is suspected of threatening and extorting money from representatives of Rosneft, Svetlana Petrenko, an official representative of the Investigative Committee, told Interfax.
The reason for conducting an investigative experiment and initiating a criminal case was the wiretapping of Ulyukaev's phone, which the FSB had been carrying out since the summer of this year. According to Petrenko, in conversations about the privatization of Bashneft, which the minister had with representatives of Rosneft, there were threats.
Recall that searches have not yet been carried out at the Ministry of Economic Development. Operational and investigative actions are not being carried out in the building of the Ministry of Economic Development, a source familiar with the situation told Gazeta.Ru. “As of 4:40 Moscow time, representatives of the Investigative Committee, as well as FSB operatives, were not in the building. Searches and investigative measures are not carried out,” the source said.
“I don’t have the word “bottom” in my dictionary at all,” said Alexei Ulyukaev in his interview Gazeta.Ru in July. Then the minister told us about the state of affairs in the Russian economy.
In the near future, the investigation plans to bring charges against Ulyukaev and petition for a preventive measure.
This amount, according to the UK, Ulyukaev received for "a positive assessment issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which allowed Rosneft to carry out a deal to acquire the state-owned stake in Bashneft in the amount of 50%.
Minister Ulyukaev was detained, the reason for which, according to the UK, was the receipt on Monday, November 14, of $ 2 million (131.5 million rubles at the Central Bank rate) in the form of a bribe.
“On November 15, 2016, based on the results of a set of operational measures carried out by the FSB of Russia, the Main Directorate for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia initiated a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev on the grounds of a crime under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (taking a bribe in an especially large size)," the agency said.
Good morning, dear readers of Gazeta.Ru. We are starting an online report, today at half past three Moscow time, the Investigative Committee announced the detention of the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev for a bribe on an especially large scale.
For the first time in the history of the Russian Federation, an acting federal minister was arrested for extorting a bribe on an especially large scale. According to the Investigative Committee, Alexei Ulyukaev demanded two million dollars for a positive conclusion on the deal to acquire the Bashneft company. The minister was "led" for several months and caught red-handed late in the evening of 14 November.
Nobody flies anywhere
Detained Alexey Ulyukaev the day before departure to Peru - in this Latin American country, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development was to meet with other ministers as part of the APEC summit. The President of the Russian Federation is also due to arrive in Lima on November 19 Vladimir Putin. The ministerial team is reportedly already in flight. Who will fly to them from Moscow to replace the detained minister is not yet known. The issue of a measure of restraint will be decided in the near future, while investigators are asking the Basmanny Court to place the minister under house arrest. It is already known that, according to the decision of the head of the government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, the duties of the Minister of Economic Development are temporarily entrusted to the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Evgenia Elina.
The official announcement of the detention of Aleksey Ulyukaev appeared on the website of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation at half past three in the morning. The time of publication speaks eloquently of the urgency of the event. “The circumstances of the crime are connected with the receipt by Aleksey Ulyukayev, holding a public office of the Russian Federation, on November 14, 2016, two million US dollars for a positive assessment issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which allowed PJSC NK Rosneft to carry out a transaction to acquire a state-owned stake in PJSC ANK Bashneft in the amount of 50 percent". The charge has been formally filed, the detained minister has been interrogated for more than six hours. Ulyukaev pleads not guilty.
“It is hard to imagine how a person of this level can be suspected of bribery. In my opinion, Aleksey Valentinovich probably received certain guarantees the day before that he received these funds as a retirement benefit. For a minister of such a high level, $2 million is not such a significant amount, roughly speaking, pocket expenses.”Member of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation Sergey Strelnikov
What's going on here?
Ulyukaev's phone has been tapped since the summer. According to the Sledkom, in conversations with representatives of Rosneft, the minister spoke sharply, in conversations “When discussing the issue of privatization of Bashneft, there were threats. These materials formed the basis of the criminal case.”, - explains the official representative of the Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko. In her own words, “during the arrest, Ulyukaev tried to get through to his patrons, but in vain”.
Details found out by the "people's blogger" of all Russia Stanislav Sadalsky, with this information match:
“Ulyukaev took his detention for a hoax. After the appearance of people in uniform, he began, smiling bewilderedly and sweetly, to call all the phones.
I called Shuvalov and other security officials several times... And he asked everyone the only question: "What's going on here?"
"No one could answer him, some just hung up", - Life quotes the words of one of the operatives who were part of the detention group. And this “hung up” in the situation of the minister, apparently, is the worst thing.
The deal is super correct
But this, perhaps, was the minister's only question. In fact, everyone is interested to know: who exactly gave the bribe? If they did not give it, and, according to the investigation, Ulyukaev extorted it - what was it that led him? Not exactly the “right” amount, especially if you look at the income of the minister himself, and not quite the “right” organization to demand something from it ... Well, and most importantly, will it not be necessary to win back the deal in connection with the detention of the deputy minister, that is, Is the enterprise waiting for a third re-privatization or a review of the transaction value?
Vice President of Rosneft Mikhail Leontiev explained that he considers what is happening natural: “Citizens of Russia, we are all inspired by the detention of Minister Ulyukaev”, - the National News Service quotes him as saying. The deal to acquire the state-owned stake in Bashneft in the amount of 50%, as Leontiev notes, was "supercorrect and she is not in danger". The Investigative Committee also confirms: the deal "is not disputed by anyone, and she herself is not the subject of an investigation".
Only one circumstance can be noted. On October 9, Ulyukaev said that he expects a positive effect from the purchase by Rosneft of the state-owned stake in Bashneft in the amount of 150-180 billion rubles from savings in oil refining and joint development of fields. However, earlier the head of the Ministry of Economic Development was an active opponent of the privatization of the Bashneft stake. What exactly caused the change in his position, apparently, will now be shown by the investigation.
Recall that on October 6, the Russian government published a directive from Rosneft to purchase 50.08 shares of Bashneft at a price not exceeding 330 billion rubles. The deal took place in mid-October, Rosneft acquired half of Bashneft's shares for 329.7 billion rubles. On October 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the media wrote, “I was surprised at the decision of the Russian government on this deal”.
November 15, commenting on the detention of Ulyukaev, the press secretary of Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov clarified that the president received information on the operational development of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development.
But something does not stick here: who gives a bribe after all, after all, everything has already been decided and the deal has been implemented? No one asks questions about the deal either - he not only brought more money to the treasury than competitors were ready to give, but also helps to clear the entangled Bashneft, which will inevitably affect the company's production efficiency for the benefit of the budget.
Where does the money come from? From cell
Detention of a federal minister is almost like demining, it is like death to make a mistake. If, after several months of operational development, the investigators finally decided to arrest, it means that a weighty evidence base has been collected. Novaya Gazeta, citing its own sources, said that the detainee Ulyukaev was on his own, and 2 million in a bank cell were on their own. Not even close. And it's not at all the same as detention Nikita Belykh with glowing palms. The Investigative Committee, however, insists that the minister was caught red-handed. “The information of some allegedly knowledgeable media about the method of receiving a bribe by Alexei Ulyukaev is nothing more than fantasies and conjectures based on nothing”, - says Svetlana Petrenko.
“The detention of the highest-ranking official once again confirms the position of the state: there are no untouchables in Russia. If there is evidence confirming the minister's guilt, the case will go to court. Time will tell how the court will consider this case.”
Natalia Poklonskaya, ex-Prosecutor of Crimea, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption.
This amazing circumstance - how it is possible today, now, to take huge bribes in cash - was pointed out even during the arrest of the governor of the Kirov region. Ulyukaev repeated Belykh's mistake multiplied by 5 (2 million instead of 400 thousand). There can be two explanations: either confidence in complete impunity, or a special kind of practicality. The story of the bags of currency found in the apartment of Colonel Zakharchenko confirms the second assumption. In the first and so few people doubt. But apparently times are changing. The detention of Ulyukaev in its significance overlaps all previous anti-corruption cases: Khoroshavin, Zakharchenko, Belykh, Gaiser, arrests in the Sledkom itself and even the Yukos case. There are no more untouchables (actually, untouchables) in power. Nearly.
To paraphrase a well-known movie quote, we can assume: "This could be the beginning of a big purge ...". But what were the reasons for launching it?
“You have to be crazy to threaten and extort 2 million from one of the most influential people in our country a month after the political approval of the deal and the formal legal and political took place. Then Aleksey Valentinovich should have been detained not by the TFR, but by Kashchenko’s representatives.”Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
Go, my son, go away ...
Former head of the Federal Security Service, and now a deputy of the State Duma Nikolai Kovalev calls the arrest of Alexei Ulyukaev an event to be expected. “I am not surprised, I expected something like this after reading his published poems calling on his son to flee Russia: “Go, my son, go away”, - Interfax quotes him as saying. The poem quoted by the ex-head of the FSB was published in Znamya magazine in 2011.
Go, my son, go away,
On the ball you will find now
There are many places where a step forward,
optional five hundred
Steps back where they say
It's not always the other way around
Where not always a convoy platoon
Children will be kicked out on small ones,
Where is not always a gag in the mouth,
Sometimes they tell the truth
There is a head at the top
Below are the legs
Where bread was not sprinkled with dust
And they did not laugh at the poor:
Ha-ha, he-he, hee-hee, hee-hee,
Economist Mikhail Khazin satisfied
On November 15, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev for accepting a bribe on an especially large scale.
"The prime minister is aware of Ulyukaev's detention. The prime minister discussed what happened with the president of the Russian Federation," the press service said. The head of government believes that it is necessary to conduct the most thorough investigation of this case.
According to preliminary data from the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the crimes are connected with the receipt by Ulyukaev on November 14, 2016 of two million dollars for a positive assessment issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which allowed PJSC NK Rosneft to carry out a deal to acquire a state-owned stake in PJSC ANK Bashneft in the amount of 50%.
As reported by the acting Svetlana Petrenko, head of the department for interaction with the media of the RF IC, Ulyukaev was caught red-handed while receiving a bribe, we are talking about extortion from representatives of Rosneft, accompanied by threats. She added at the same time that the shares of Bashneft were acquired legally, this is not the subject of an investigation in the framework of the criminal case, in which the minister became a defendant, RIA Novosti reports.
Recall that in October Rosneft bought a 50.0755% stake in Bashneft for 329.7 billion rubles. It was expected that in September-October it would be possible to sell the state-owned 50.08% stake, which E&Y estimated at 297-315 billion rubles. However, in August they announced the suspension of all procedures - it was decided to postpone this deal and first privatize a stake in Rosneft.
On September 30, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov announced the resumption of the Bashneft privatization procedure. At the same time, a legally binding proposal for a deal from Rosneft was also submitted. It took the company less than two weeks to acquire the Bashkir asset.
Thus, at present, a criminal case has been initiated against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev for taking a bribe on an especially large scale (part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The maximum sanction of this article provides for up to 15 years in prison.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the detention of the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexei Ulyukaev, said that only a court can decide anything.
"Vladimir Putin has been receiving all the information from law enforcement officials since the beginning of the operational development of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukayev, who was detained on November 14 on suspicion of taking a large bribe," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said.
A representative of Rosneft said that the company acquired the shares of Bashneft in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, and she does not comment on the actions of the Investigative Committee. Rosneft also stated that the Russian Investigative Committee had no claims against the company and the deal, which was later confirmed by the Russian Investigative Committee.
According to a law enforcement source, Ulyukaev was in the development of the FSB for more than a year, "The minister was under the supervision of the security forces from the FSB for more than a year, it is not known whether he was initially suspected of what he is now accused of, but he was definitely more in the development years," the source said.
"Strong evidence for conducting an investigative experiment under the control of the security forces against Alexei Ulyukaev was obtained from the results of wiretapping of his conversations. And the conversations of his entourage," the source said.
According to him, the FSB Department of Internal Security conducted operational support of the case against Ulyukaev, and transferred money to the minister in the same way as during the detention of the governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belykh.
The detention of the Minister of Economic Development of Russia Alexei Ulyukaev took place as part of a systematic work to restore order in power structures and in order to eradicate corruption there, said Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma committee on the financial market.
"I'm surprised. I hope that they will sort it out. A serious accusation. I hope that everything will be objective," Aksakov told the agency. Recall that in August Alexey Ulyukaev stated that the privatization of Bashneft and Rosneft could take place at any time, starting from September 2016.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that everyone is equal in the fight against corruption, including the minister. Answering Interfax's question about whether Ulyukaev's detention indicates that there are no untouchables, Volodin said: "Everyone is equal before the law."
The head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin is shocked by the news of the detention of the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexei Ulyukaev, whom he has known for about 30 years.
“You have to be crazy so that a month after the approval of the deal, both formal legal and political, took place, threaten Rosneft with something and extort $ 2 million from Igor Ivanovich Sechin, in fact one of the most influential people in our country. Then Aleksey Valentinovich should have been detained not by the TFR, but by representatives of Kashchenko," Shokhin said.
Rosneft also refused to comment on the actions of the TFR: a stake in Bashneft was acquired by NK Rosneft in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on the basis of the best commercial offer made to the operating bank, Interfax was told in the press service of Rosneft. Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontiev said that "the deal to buy Bashneft is super correct and is not threatened by anything."
Yevgeny Yasin, a former economics minister and research director at the Higher School of Economics, told Interfax that the minister's detention would not have a significant impact on the investment climate in the country, which is already at a low level.
“He recruited several times, several people, including quite high-ranking officials and security officials. And he asked everyone one single question: "What's going on here?" - said the source.
At the same time, none of the subscribers could answer the minister, because the investigation was carried out in the strictest secrecy