Senior Russian official detained in bribery sting
MOSCOW -- Russia’s top investigative body says it has detained a long-serving Russian minister over an alleged $2 million bribe.
The Investigative Committee said in a statement early Tuesday that Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev was detained late Monday after he allegedly received a $2 million bribe in a sting set by the FSB, the KGB’s main successor agency. The investigators said Ulyukayev took the bribe for giving the green light to state-controlled oil giant Rosneft to take part in bidding for another oil company.
Ulyukayev, who held the post since 2013 and worked as deputy minister for many years, is a known liberal figure. He has opposed Rosneft’s bidding for Bashneft, insisting that it would be wrong for a state-owned company to take part in a privatization drive.
