For the first time in Russian history, a federal minister has been detained in a corruption case. The head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexey Ulyukaev, who is remembered for constantly searching for the bottom of the crisis in Russia, was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from representatives of Rosneft. The FSB monitored the official for more than a year. The harshest punishment that Ulyukaev can expect is 15 years in prison.

What's happened?

November 15 by the Main Investigation Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases Investigative Committee Russia (ICR), based on the results of FSB checks, a criminal case has been initiated against the minister economic development Alexey Ulyukaev in connection with signs of receiving a bribe on an especially large scale.

“The minister was under the surveillance of security forces from the FSB for more than a year. It is not known whether there were initially suspicions against him for what he is now accused of, but it was definitely in development for more than a year,” RIA Novosti source in law enforcement agencies.

In addition, the agency, citing the acting head of the media relations department of the Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko, said that Ulyukaev was detained red-handed while accepting a bribe. “We are talking about extorting a bribe from representatives of Rosneft, coupled with threats,” she said.

Who is Alexey Ulyukaev?

Ulyukaev was appointed Minister of Economic Development in June 2013. He replaced Andrei Belousov in this post (now he works as an assistant to the head of state).

Alexey Ulyukaev is 60 years old.

He graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University (1979), Doctor of Economics. Since 1982 he has been involved scientific activity by profile. From 1988 to 1991, he tried his hand at journalism - he worked as the head of the editorial department of the Kommunist magazine and as a political observer at Moscow News.

In 1991, Ulyukaev became an economic adviser to the government and was a member of the team of reformers led by Yegor Gaidar. In 1993-1994 he worked as an assistant to Gaidar, who was then first deputy prime minister. At the beginning of the 2000s, he served as Deputy Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin.

From 2004 until June 2013, Alexey Ulyukaev was deputy chairman of the Bank of Russia (the bank was headed by Sergey Ignatiev).

Awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree.

Writes poems.

Ulyukaev on corruption

The minister, who was detained for taking a bribe, has repeatedly spoken out about the harm of corruption for the normal development of the country.

“Corruption is, of course, a problem for economic growth, social stability and political development of the country. The point is that we need to do something about it. The first is transparency. Now I and all my colleagues must publish not only income, ownership, but also expenses,” the official said in the summer of 2015 (quote from the BBC).

“Corruption is a problem. The level of corruption is high. But just making a statement that there is corruption is not enough. Need to do something. And like I said, transparency is The best way improve the situation,” Ulyukaev noted.

Sources of Novaya Gazeta: Ulyukaev did not take money into his hands

The head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexey Ulyukaev, did not personally receive the money, which the Investigative Committee calls a bribe, sources in the FSB told Novaya Gazeta. According to their information, cash in the amount of $2 million dollars were in a safe deposit box (the name of the bank is 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 existence of the minister’s claims to this money,” they claim.

Official comment from the Investigative Committee. In a conversation with a Novaya Gazeta correspondent, department representative Svetlana Petrenko denied our source’s information that the money was in the safe deposit box. However, Petrenko refused to provide immediate comments on the circumstances of the detention of the Minister of Economic Development.

Ulyukaev’s lawyer Timofey Gridnev also stated that the head of the Ministry of Economic Development did not take the money into his hands, but became a victim of provocation, during a meeting of the Basmanny Court to determine the preventive measure, which took place on Tuesday evening.

Only during this meeting did the Investigative Committee announce that the court had added to the case the materials of the operational investigation, audio and video recordings, as well as the testimony of witnesses allegedly confirming the guilt of Alexey Ulyukaev.

2 million dollars - how much is it in grams?

Weight of 1 $100 bill = 1 gram.
1 million dollars is 10,000 bills, or 10,000 grams.
2 million dollars is 20 kilograms.

Quite a heavy burden.

Which security officials specifically developed Ulyukaev (updated)

According to our sources, the primary case operational accounting(DOU), on the basis of which the wiretapping of telephone conversations and the removal of information from technical communication channels via Ulyukaev’s mobile devices was carried out for a long time, was opened by an investigator of the 6th Internal Security Service of the FSB about a year ago.

As a result of personnel changes in the FSB Internal Security Service in the fall of this year, the former head of the 6th service of the FSB Internal Security Service, Ivan Tkachev, considered the creation of Oleg Feoktistov, headed the FSB Directorate “K” (carries out counterintelligence activities in the credit and financial sphere).

Oleg Feoktistov headed the oil company’s security service as a seconded FSB officer in August 2016, and before that he served as first deputy head of the FSB’s Internal Security Directorate (USB). “Being in the status of APS (the apparatus of seconded employees - “ New Newspaper“), he [Feoktistov] has the same powers as a current FSB officer, namely, the full range of capabilities to conduct operational investigative activities: making inquiries, identifying a person, decreeing wiretapping of telephone conversations,” the source explains.

In addition, Novaya’s sources remind us that a seconded employee from Directorate “K” of the FSB worked at the Ministry of Economic Development, who could assist in collecting information regarding the minister.

It was the 3rd Department of Directorate “K” of the FSB, which oversees the activities of the Ministry of Economic Development, that participated in the detention of Alexey 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. The first was recording of negotiations with the participation of the minister; it was between six and seven o’clock in the evening on Monday. And the arrest itself took place at night.

This version is indirectly supported by the comment of Alexey Ulyukaev’s lawyer Timofey Gridnev on BFM: “Alexey Valentinovich did not admit his guilt. “He believes that what happened yesterday at the Rosneft office was 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 arrest was made either during or immediately after this meeting.

Rumors about the detention of a plane carrying Ulyukaev’s assistants are fake

Novaya Gazeta contacted Alexey Ulyukaev’s press secretary, Elena Lashkina, who heard rumors about his detention at the airport in Peru.

On the day before his arrest, Alexey Ulyukaev “was calm and full of plans for the future”

Political scientist Kirill Rogov, who was personally present at the meeting with the minister on November 14, told Novaya Gazeta about this. Read more about the meeting.

What everyone knows

Circumstances of detention: night

At half past three on the night of November 15, the Investigative Committee announced the initiation of a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev under the article “receiving a bribe on an especially large scale.” According to investigators, on November 14, Ulyukaev received a bribe of $2 million for the fact that his department issued a positive assessment that allowed the Rosneft company to privatize the state stake in Bashneft.

What is Ulyukaev charged with?

Either “receiving a bribe on an especially large scale,” or “extorting a bribe.” This different compositions crimes.

In the first case ( taking a bribe) the fact of transfer of money must be recorded. And the accused may face from 8 to 15 years in prison.

In the second case ( extortion) the bribe might not have been handed over personally. Investigative Committee speaker Svetlana Petrenko stated that Ulyukaev allegedly threatened representatives of Rosneft.

“We are talking about extortion of a bribe, coupled with threats to representatives of Rosneft. Ulyukaev was detained red-handed while receiving money,” Petrenko emphasized. (Note that Novaya Gazeta’s sources reported that Ulyukaev did not accept a bribe)

By noon, it was known that Ulyukaev had been questioned by investigators at least in the morning.

Did it even make sense to bribe Ulyukaev to buy Bashneft shares?

Experts think not. The issue of selling Bashneft shares to Igor Sechin’s structure went far beyond the competence of Minister Ulyukaev and his hardware capabilities. But to seriously consider that the minister could change President Putin’s already made decision 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 Ulyukayeva being asked to stay under house arrest? (updated)

The Investigative Committee petitioned the Basmanny Court to place Ulyukaev under house arrest. Considering the gravity of the crime charged, this is a very humane requirement. This may be 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 operational development of Ulyukaev begin?

A RIA Novosti source claims that “the minister was under the supervision of security forces from the FSB more than a year, it is unknown 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.”

The Kremlin's first public reaction

At about 3 a.m., presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on Ulyukaev’s detention, calling the charges “very serious” and noting that the final decision would be made by the court, which, “as is known, did not always agree with the opinion of the investigation.” “It’s night now. I don’t know whether the president was reported,” Peskov said then.

First reaction of Prime Minister Medvedev

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 Ulyukaev’s development?

Without a doubt. Soon this was confirmed by Dmitry Peskov. All details of Ulyukaev’s development were reported to Vladimir Putin from the very beginning, a Kremlin spokesman said.

Rumor: Ulyukaev’s resignation was planned

The government, Gazeta.Ru claims, was waiting for the resignation of Alexey Ulyukaev. According to the publication's sources, in October the minister wrote a letter of resignation, and the reason was allegedly a dispute with the Ministry of Finance about the accuracy of macro forecasts.

Novaya Gazeta can neither confirm nor deny this rumor.

Opinion: the Ulyukaev case will lead to the resignation of the Medvedev government

This opinion has already been voiced in the public space by the head of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation 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 comment to Novaya Gazeta, Gleb Pavlovsky agreed that serious changes could occur 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. Pavlovsky does not rule out 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 into the “Rosneft-Ulyukaev case.”

There are still too many questions regarding the Rosneft-Ulyukaev case. An objective investigation is needed.

— Alexey Kudrin (@Aleksei_Kudrin)

Why $2 million?

Compared to the cost of privatizing Bashneft, the amount of the alleged bribe is small. On October 10, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order to sell Rosneft 50.08% of Bashneft, and on October 12 Rosneft paid 329.69 billion rubles for this package. ($5.3 billion).

“To extort $2 million for approving a deal to purchase Bashneft is very similar to science fiction. $2 million is the level of a deputy mayor of the city, - believes Deputy General Director of Transparency International - Russia Ilya Shumanov. “Only a person from another galaxy could extort money from Rosneft.”

For 2015, Ulyukaev declared income in the amount of 60 million rubles, and together with his wife - 75 million rubles. ($1.1 million) The minister owns more than a dozen land plots with a total area of ​​157 thousand square meters. m, as well as a house and apartment with a total area of ​​756 sq. m. m, not counting several land plots and residential buildings in Crimea registered in the name of the spouse.

For the second time in a year, Ulyukaev finds himself at the center of a corruption scandal. In the spring, his name was obtained as a result of a leak of information from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

The documents noted that the son of the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, Dmitry, was the director of the company Ronnieville Ltd, established in the British Virgin Islands in November 2004 (at that time, Ulyukaev Sr. served as the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank). There was no formal violation of the law, but employees of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), who studied the “Panamanian archives,” drew attention to the fact that Dmitry Ulyukaev was only 21 years old.

In 2006, instead of Ulyukaev Jr., a certain Yulia Khryapina became the director of Ronnieville and remained in this status until the liquidation of the company in May 2009. The authors of the investigation hypothesize that this is the wife of Minister Ulyukaev, based on certain similarities between a photo from a copy of Khryapina’s passport found in the Mossack Fonseca database and a later photo available on the Internet showing the minister, his wife and newborn daughter. In addition, Khryapina’s place of birth according to her passport is Crimea, and Ulyukaev declared plots and houses in Crimea registered in his wife’s name. And finally, according to a team of investigative journalists, Yulia Sergeevna Khryapina was listed as a researcher at the Gaidar Institute, where Ulyukaev worked until 2000.

In 1978, Ulyukaev’s poems were first published in the magazine “Student Meridian”. The first collection, Fire and Light, was published in 2002, the second, Alien Coast, ten years later.

Will the criminal case affect the privatization of Bashneft?

The Investigative Committee noted that the legality of Rosneft’s acquisition of Bashneft shares is not questioned.

Two RBC sources in the financial and economic bloc of the government exclude the possibility of revising the Bashneft privatization deal. One of them says that the transaction itself for the sale of a controlling stake in the Rosneft oil company “was carried out purely” from a procedural point of view, and therefore “no one will challenge it.” According to another source, the deal was carried out within the legal framework and the story with the minister concerns only himself.

Partner at FBK Grant Thornton and head of the corporate law practice at FBK Legal, Alexander Ermolenko, points out that any transaction is valid until it is challenged. “In all transactions that can be challenged, you need to look for interested parties - those who decide to challenge it. The state - represented by the Federal Property Management Agency or the Ministry of Economic Development - is unlikely to be interested in “unscrewing” this deal; the state wanted to get the money [and got it]. Rosneft was interested in acquiring the asset. The third party is represented by law enforcement agencies. But the prosecutor’s office is unlikely to decide on this,” he says.

Video: RBC TV channel

“Ulyukaev is a key player in the privatization of a 19.5% stake in Rosneft, and therefore his detention could jeopardize the completion of the deal before the end of the year (according to the latest government order, the deal must be closed by December 5),” wrote the investment company’s analysts. Aton" in today's market review. But the question of the need to review the privatization of Bashneft and the prospects for a deal to privatize the state stake in Rosneft is the prerogative of the government, says RBC’s interlocutor in the State Duma. If the government considers that the investigation’s arguments against Ulyukaev cast doubt on the results of the privatization of Bashneft (that is, if the conclusion issued by Ulyukaev was so important for the deal), the deal may be canceled. The same applies to the deal on the privatization of Rosneft, the interlocutor clarified.

The Federal Property Management Agency later stated that it saw no reason to revise the Bashneft privatization deal. “The transaction was carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation in compliance with all necessary legal norms, the money was transferred to the budget Russian Federation“,” Denis Lazarev, adviser to the head of the Federal Property Management Agency, told RBC.

At the end of July, Ulyukaev, along with other high-ranking officials (Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and presidential aide Andrei Belousov), was sharply against Rosneft’s participation in the privatization of Bashneft. “In my view, Rosneft is not the appropriate buyer for such an asset,” he told reporters on July 29. A month later, he changed his position and on September 2 announced that Rosneft would still be formally allowed to participate in the deal. Then the minister explained that the privatization law contains a provision “that if a transaction is made in the interests of developing the stock market, the requirement does not apply that a company that has 25% or more (of state participation in capital) was not allowed." “Formally, based on this provision, as well as the fact that Rosneft is not directly state-owned, but through a “layer”, that is, Rosneftegaz, it is formally admitted,” he clarified.

How will the detention of Ulyukaev affect the balance of the elites?

For the first time since Vladimir Putin has been president, a sitting minister has been detained. Experts agree that this indicates the lifting of immunity from a wide layer of elites. In addition, it could lead to a serious revision of the balance of power in the elites: on the one hand, the influence of Rosneft head Igor Sechin and the security forces is increasing, on the other, the shares of systemic liberals in the cabinet are falling.

Now the liberal bloc of the government will feel very insecure, since the immunity of a significant layer of the elite has been removed, says Nikolai Mironov, head of the Center for Economic and Political Reforms.

“There are no more untouchables. Ulyukaev kept himself somewhat aloof, he did not have a roof at the level of members [Vladimir Putin’s close circle],” says Evgeniy Minchenko, president of Minchenko Consulting.

The reduction in the resource base in the country, as well as the need to strengthen the power and authority of the president, requires “new solutions,” says the head of the Political Expert Group, Konstantin Kalachev.

“It’s time to answer the request for justice. It is no coincidence that [famous anti-corruption fighter and ex-Prime Minister of Singapore] Lee Kwan Yew is so often quoted in our country. And at the same time, for someone to solve other problems within the framework of the redistribution of spheres of influence and the struggle for resources. But few people know about the redistribution, and for the majority the message is clear: no one is untouchable,” Kalachev tells RBC. The expert agrees that the detention was a serious blow to systemic liberals and the government as a whole.

On the night of November 15, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced the detention of the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexey Ulyukaev. It is alleged that he was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of two million dollars. Ulyukaev is suspected of threatening to extort money from representatives of Rosneft in exchange for the purchase of a controlling stake in Bashneft. He has already been charged. Ulyukaev was taken to the Basmanny court, he does not admit his guilt.

The prosecutor's office supported the request for house arrest by the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukaev. Earlier, Ulyukaev asked the court to choose a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place. He explained his request by saying that his dependent parents are 84 and 85 years old.

A criminal case has been initiated against Ulyukaev under Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code (receiving a bribe on a particularly large scale). The maximum sanction of this article provides for a fine in the amount of eighty to one hundred times the amount of the bribe with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to fifteen years, or imprisonment for a term of eight to fifteen years with a fine of up to seventy times the amount of the bribe or without such.

At the same time, the Investigative Committee noted that the Bashneft privatization transaction is not the subject of an investigation; the company was acquired by Rosneft legally.

Ulyukaev has been on the radar for a long time

The official representative of the Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, said that the FSB had been tapping Ulyukaev’s phone since the summer of this year. In his conversations with representatives of Rosneft when discussing the issue of privatization of Bashneft, threats were made. These materials formed the basis of the criminal case, Petrenko said. “During his arrest, Ulyukaev tried to call his patrons, but in vain,” she added.

According to various sources cited by the media, Ulyukaev’s resignation from the post of minister was prepared in advance.

Sources claim that the minister wrote his resignation letter back in October. The reason for the dismissal was a dispute with the Ministry of Finance about the accuracy of the macro forecast, interlocutors say.

Sources in the department report that at the end of last week Ulyukaev went on sick leave. Deputy Minister Alexey Vedev was appointed acting head of the department.

Rosneft press secretary Mikhail Leontyev, in a conversation with reporters, said that Rosneft’s official position would be formulated later:

“I will say this not as the press secretary of Rosneft, but as Mikhail Leontyev. I don’t know what’s going on, he (Ulyukaev) takes money for nothing, that’s arrogance. A lot of. He takes it for nothing, just because he’s so handsome! Complete rudeness! I understand Alekperov or other people there! Absolutely insolent! I didn't spy on him. "Rosneft" is a morally injured party, but it would have suffered financially if law enforcement agencies worked worse. 2 million dollars for nothing, supposedly the money was given for a positive assessment from the Ministry of Economy. The assessment of Bashneft could not be negative anyway.”

Putin's surprise

Anton Pominov, General Director of the Center for Anti-Corruption Research and Initiatives of Transparency International Russia, said that Ulyukaev’s detention may be related to the privatization of Bashneft:

“It is difficult to assess how accurate the details that we are told about the bribe and the circumstances of the detention are, but what’s interesting is that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin recently stated that he was surprised by the government’s position on the privatization of Bashneft. And perhaps the security forces understood this surprise as a signal to action.

Moreover, there were reasons to surprise Putin. They said - let us not sell Bashneft at auction, but let us sell it in some incomprehensible way through VTB Capital for some reason. Moreover, only Rosneft received an offer from VTB Capital, although initially there were many who wanted it, the Energy Fund, Tatneft, and Rusneft - and then they all played with the same goal. And what was that? They probably had some kind of logic to sell through such an opaque scheme.

And what is important here is not even who was the author of this scheme in the government, but that they did not consult with serious people and they were offended. And it is clear that this detention could not take place without the consent of Vladimir Putin. Still, this is the detention of the minister and a serious blow to the gut for Dmitry Medvedev.

In addition, we must not forget that Ulyukaev’s son, who was 21 years old at that time, appeared in the Panama Papers as the owner of an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands. Coincidence? Well, maybe. To be honest, we haven’t dug Ulyukaev yet, but we had questions for him. Do you have an offshore? I don't have one either. And for some reason Ulyukaev’s son had one. So we thought that they didn’t react to the Panama Papers, but maybe we were wrong, and they took it upon themselves. But the story with Bashneft is still more important here. And $2 million is somehow not a lot for this level.”

Strange accusation

In the Ulyukaev case, the privatization of Bashneft has only an indirect significance, says economic analyst, partner of the consulting company RusEnergy, Mikhail Krutikhin.

“Catching a liberal with such a reputation for corruption is a long-standing dream of everyone who actually makes economic decisions in Russia. Firstly, Ulyukaev had and still has a reputation as the most radical liberal in the cabinet of ministers, and a man who has 25 years of liberal views and participation in reforms back in Gaidar’s time. And this step (the detention of Ulyukaev) is a signal to the liberal camp: look, you are all like this and there is no point in speaking out against us.

This is also a signal to the government: if in the economic bloc you, like Ulyukaev, question our wise economic policy, see what can happen to you. Therefore, the “development” of Ulyukaev was a rather lengthy operation and everything was being prepared for this decisive moment.”

The head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Alexander Shokhin, believes that the accusation against Ulyukaev looks strange, since a person with extensive political experience would not in his right mind extort money from the head of Rosneft for an already completed transaction:

“It happens that high-ranking officials are detained for accepting bribes, not without reason. In the case of Ulyukaev, there are a lot of questions, at least questions related to both the motivation for this bribe and the fact itself - it happened, it didn’t happen, or there is a suspicion that it could have happened. One would have to be crazy to, a month after the approval of the deal, both formal legal and political, took place, threaten Rosneft with something and extort two million dollars from Igor Ivanovich Sechin, in fact one of the most influential people in our country. It would then be necessary for Alexey Valentinovich to be detained not by the Investigative Committee, but by Kashchenko’s representatives. Therefore, from a substantive point of view, it seems to me that this accusation, to put it mildly, is not yet very proven and rational,” Shokhin said in an interview.

Demonstrative arrest

The detention of the minister revitalizes talk about early presidential elections. Doctor of Historical Sciences, MGIMO Professor Valery Solovey stated this in a conversation. In his opinion, everything that is happening can be called a demonstrative action for government liberals with a different point of view and voters who like to support a “decisive fight against corruption.”

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that there is no connection between the detention of the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev and the deal for Rosneft to purchase a state-owned stake in Bashneft.

“As far as I understand, the representative of the Investigative Committee has already said that this case is in no way related to the deal and does not concern the Rosneft company. As far as we know, there really is no connection here,” Peskov said. He also stated that Vladimir Putin has not yet made a decision on the resignation of the detained Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev. “I am not aware that President Putin made such a decision to resign either independently or on the proposal of the chairman of the government. I don’t know about this yet,” he said.

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev exchanged information about the ongoing operational development regarding the head of the Ministry of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, who was detained on suspicion of taking a bribe, Peskov emphasized.

To satisfy the investigation's request

“The investigator’s request is satisfied and a preventive measure is chosen against Ulyukaev in the form of house arrest for a period of two months, until January 15,” Judge Artur Karpov announced the decision.

According to the court decision, Ulyukaev will serve house arrest in his apartment on Minskaya Street in Moscow. He is prohibited from leaving or changing his place of residence without permission, communicating with any persons other than close relatives, sending postal messages and using any means of communication. As noted in the court ruling, he can only use the phone to call an ambulance or rescue service. He is prohibited from taking daily walks.

The minister accepted the decision on house arrest without emotion. After Judge Karpov finished reading the ruling, he asked the accused if he understood the essence of the court decision. “Yes, I understand,” Ulyukaev replied.

Evidence from the UK

During the day, the media, perplexed by the fact of Ulyukaev’s detention, began to suggest different versions of what happened. So, for example, Novaya Gazeta wrote that Ulyukaev did not receive the money that he was charged with as a bribe, but that, according to the publication’s sources, it was in a safe deposit box, but the minister himself did not withdraw the money.

The Investigative Committee, in turn, called such information fantasy. “The information from some supposedly knowledgeable media about the method of receiving a bribe by Alexey Ulyukaev is nothing more than unfounded fantasies and speculations,” said the official representative of the RF Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, again recalling that the minister was detained red-handed, that is, immediately upon receiving bribes.

Later, after the court’s decision on the preventive measure, the Investigative Committee announced the presence of significant evidence in the case, namely materials from operational search activities, audio and video recordings, testimony of witnesses, which were recorded in accordance with the requirements of the law, but have not yet been disclosed in the interests of the investigation . “The lawyers’ statement about Ulyukaev’s non-involvement in the charges brought by the Investigative Committee is the expected version of the defense. The defense is not original, claiming provocation even in the presence of specific marks on the fingers of the defendant,” Petrenko noted.

Witnesses and their testimony

As follows from the court materials, at least two witnesses testified against Ulyukaev. “I. Makarov and K. Shershneva, who were interrogated by the investigation as witnesses, gave evidence against Ulyukaev. His guilt is confirmed by eyewitness testimony,” the court noted.

According to the investigator, eyewitnesses pointed to Ulyukaev as the person who committed the crime. He noted that the bribe was received “for performing actions within the scope of the official powers of the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.”

The minister himself stated in court that he intends to cooperate with the investigation, but has so far refrained from testifying. “I am determined to cooperate with the investigation as much as possible,” he said. At the same time, Ulyukaev did not comment on the specific circumstances of the case. “I would just like to say that I did not refuse to testify, but refrained from giving it,” he explained.

Defense position

Even before the court’s decision, one of Ulyukaev’s lawyers, Timofey Gridnev, said in an interview with Business FM radio that the detention took place the day before at the Rosneft office and called it “a provocation against a government official.” The Rosneft press service declined to comment on this matter.

The lawyer noted that the investigators had signed a non-disclosure agreement with him regarding the non-disclosure of preliminary investigation data, so the defense decided to refrain from testifying until the charges were specified and evidence was presented.

“We are at the beginning of a long journey, having carefully read the protocol, we did not find evidence that Ulyukaev received a bribe,” Gridnev said in court. The lawyers asked to choose a preventive measure for their client in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place, arguing that his presence at large would correspond to the interests of the state. Gridnev explained that the minister’s isolation from society could destabilize the Russian economy.

In turn, another lawyer, Larisa Kashtanova, also insisted that it was inappropriate to place house arrest on Ulyukaev. According to her, he has two elderly dependent parents who need regular care.

At the same time, the prosecutor and investigator insisted on the impossibility of choosing a more lenient preventive measure.

Bracelet for a minister

According to a source familiar with the situation, employees of the Criminal Execution Inspectorate (CII) of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Moscow will put an electronic bracelet on the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Alexey Ulyukaev, and explain to him his new rights and responsibilities. “After the employees of the criminal executive inspection receive the judge’s order, certified by the blue seal, they will explain the rights and obligations in accordance with the restrictions imposed by the court. After this, control and supervision equipment will be installed at the address indicated in the court order, with the help of which inspectors will carry out control,” the agency’s interlocutor explained.

In addition, correctional officers will visit the person placed under house arrest at least twice a week, and also deliver him in official vehicles to the investigator and to the court.

Regarding the possible filing of a complaint against house arrest, the lawyers noted that they would discuss this issue with their client. “We have not yet decided to file a complaint, we need to discuss this with our client,” said one of the lawyers.

I was about to write about Putin’s first telephone conversation with US President-elect Trump, as well as about the elections in Moldova that took place last Sunday, when urgent news appeared. Last night, Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev was detained. Here is what RBC, in particular, tells us, on whose website I read about Ulyukaev’s detention:

“On November 15, 2016, based on the results of a set 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 opened a criminal case against the Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

According to the Investigative Committee, the circumstances of the crime are related to the receipt by the Ulyukaevs on November 14, 2016 of two million US dollars for a positive assessment issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which, according to the investigation, allowed the Rosneft oil company to buy the state stake in Bashneft.

The Investigative Committee clarified that Ulyukaev will be charged in the near future, and the investigation also intends to file a petition for a preventive measure against the minister.​

In this regard, there is euphoria of joy in pro-Kremlin blogs that Putin will finally begin to fight corruption. Let's discard these crazy versions of Putin's fight against corruption and look at the most likely ones. Why delusional, you ask? Yes, because the current regime is full of corruption. And he a priori cannot fight it. This is the first thing. And secondly, I will believe in the fight against corruption by the current government only when the Rotenbergs, Abramovich, Friedman, Chubais, Kudrin, Timchenko and other personifications of corruption in the country are arrested. For now, let's look at the real versions.

1. This is due to the ongoing struggle between clans. After the Sislibs (system liberals), to which Ulyukaev belongs, dealt a powerful blow to the security forces in the spring and summer, dismissing/removing and arresting its prominent representatives, like Sergei Ivanov and Colonel Zakharchenko, the latter decided to strike back at the Sislibs. And they chose Ulyukaev as a victim. less dangerous than the same Chubais. The arrest of which would lead to indignation in the West.

2. By detaining Ulyukaev, structures competing with Rosneft and Sechin are digging under him. Look why the minister was detained. For the fact that he gave a positive assessment for two million dollars, which allowed Rosneft, whose owner is the same Igor Sechin from the very close circle Putin, buy the state stake in Bashneft. And now, according to the rules, the deal should be annulled, and a criminal case should be opened against Sechin.

3. Well, the latest version is banal PR. With the deterioration of the socio-economic situation in the country and with Putin’s falling rating, the Kremlin decided to make targeted arrests of some people hated by the people to increase its shaky rating. Roughly speaking, this is the usual Kremlin window dressing. And at the same time, distract the population’s attention from pressing problems with the mythical fight against corruption. It is in this light that Ulyukaev’s night detention should be viewed.

It may be true that all three versions play a major role in the detention of the Minister of Economic Development and ardent Gaidar supporter Alexei Ulyukaev. Who, by the way, will soon be released, just as Vasilyeva was released and Serdyukov was pardoned. But the Erefians who have joined the screens will watch with interest the most fascinating show about the fight against corruption in the highest echelons of power. How they followed the fight against “werewolves in uniform” in 2003. Which only ended with an increase in their numbers. For this reason, arrests of some governors and lower-ranking officials are also possible in the near future. Some of them will be imprisoned, some will get off with a slight fright. I don't know this for sure. But what I can say for sure is that the main corrupt officials will remain free and will continue to rob the people with triple force.