Project "ZZ". Poet under arrest, liberals at gunpoint?
The house arrest of the Minister of Economic Development and the poet Alexei Ulyukayev caused a stir in the Western press. The major publications of Europe and the United States vied with one another in quoting the opinions of prominent Russian figures commenting on the strange bribe that this minister allegedly extorted from Rosneft, a man of a dozen. Everybody is surprised, especially Anatoly Chubais.
Yesterday in 20: 50 Moscow time on President’s website there was a short message about the release of Alexei Ulyukayev from the post of Minister of Economic Development: “Vladimir Putin dismissed Alexey Ulyukayev by the decree of the post of Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation due to the loss of trust”.
This news shook the Western media, including the largest. Journalists and analysts began to wonder: what will happen next in Russia? Many Russian leaders, including those from the so-called liberal camp, are also guessworking. Even Chubais spoke about the detention of the “extortioner” Ulyukaev and the bribe case of two million greens.
Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukaev was arrested in Russia on charges of receiving a bribe in the amount of $ 2 million related to the privatization deal, writes Bloomberg. This is the first detention of such a large level, which occurred in Russia during the 16 years of Vladimir Putin’s rule, the newspaper notes.
Sixty-year-old Ulyukaev was taken into custody on Monday while attempting an action related to receiving cash, the Investigation Committee of Russia said. Later, the minister was accused of extortion: he demanded money from Rosneft in connection with the purchase by the company last month of an 50-percentage share of the regional oil company Bashneft. Mr Gridnev, a lawyer for Ulyukayev, assures the public that his client denies any violations of the law.
Ulyukayev himself, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, who was sitting at the defendant’s table during the hearing, said that he was cooperating with the investigation. The Moscow Basmanny Court granted the state's petition for the house arrest of Ulyukayev, which will last until January 15. Putin, the newspaper reminds, signed a decree on the release of Ulyukaev as minister, citing a "loss of confidence."
The detention of the “well-known liberal economist” shocked the government and the business elite, writes further edition. But what to say, if Putin himself “two years ago praised Ulyukaev, calling him“ one of our best specialists in the field of economics. ” In addition, the Rosneft deal is recognized as legal and is not subject to investigation.
“Ulyukaev was associated with liberal economic reforms since 1990, and many among the elite did not like him,” said Olga Kryshtanovskaya, an expert on the inner Kremlin circle working in the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Sociology. - O. Ch .). In her opinion, there can be "some kind of political motive."
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economics, Elena Lashkina, says the news of the arrest was “strange” and “amazing.” She added that the charges must be carefully examined.
The lawyer Gridnev believes that everything that happened in the Rosneft office was "rigged."
Rosneft declined to comment on exactly where the detention took place.
State television of Russia, meanwhile, issued news of the detention of the minister under the slogan "Fighting Corruption".
“This is clear evidence that the fight against corruption has reached a systemic level,” says Kirill Kabanov, head of the National Committee against Corruption (an independent research group in Moscow). He suggests that the Ulyukaev case may pull along with itself “other people, perhaps even of higher rank.”
According to the publication, today Ulyukaev is the most prominent figure among those who got into scandals related to Russian corruption. Here both governors, and deputy ministers, and officials of lower ranks, all of whom were accused of corruption, fraud and extortion.
Dmitry Polevoy, chief economist at ING (Moscow), believes that the “worst scenario” could be the beginning of an “offensive” on liberals in the government.
As for at least some details on the case of Ulyukaev, the Investigation Committee reports that its work began after information from Rosneft: they said that Ulyukaev allegedly threatened to “create obstacles in the future for the company” if the company did not pay a bribe. Investigators tapped Ulyukayev’s phone for several months.
"La Stampa" reminds that the Medvedev government for several hours refused to comment on the scandal with the minister.
The publication believes that in Russia there is a fierce struggle not only economic, but also political clans. If Putin’s man, by the name of Sechin, heads the “conservatives”, then the ex-minister Ulyukayev is from a stratum of “liberals” who, as is well known, are skeptical about the economic prospects of the Russian Federation.
Until now, Putin has kept a relative “balance” between liberals and nationalists in a close circle, but what will happen now? The author of the article, Anna Zafesova, does not think that the version about the beginning of the fight against corruption seems convincing to someone, since corruption in Russia has hit all levels of the system and is a “consent mechanism”. And arrests for bribes - only the result of the inter-clan struggle. Russian ministers, governors openly boast about wealth that they could not get in an official way. And the further, the less Putin allows himself to publicly “flog” his inner circle.
But on November 15, something changed: one part of the clan defeated the competition. “The fate of the Medvedev government is currently unknown, but we can definitely say that he does not have to hope for the best,” the author notes. The arrest of Ulyukayev will be a bad signal for foreign investors.
According to Zafesova, the arrest of the minister may indicate either the Kremlin’s reluctance to “keep the balance”, or that the Kremlin is no longer able to do this.
"New York Times" also dedicated an article to Ulyukayev’s cause.
On Tuesday, the Russians were woken up by a scandal, journalist Neil Macfarkar sneers. Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, a “liberal burly man whose style is a haircut under a porcupine,” was arrested. He was detained in the middle of the night: this is down to Soviet tactics.
The minister’s arrest is the rarest case of detecting bribery outside the high walls of the Kremlin, although corruption in Russia flourishes everywhere.
Among the innumerable questions about what actually happened, one of the explanations turned out to be a “favorite”. The Kremlin is looking for a "life raft" for the economy. This line of analysts is based on the claim that Mr. Ulyukayev was allegedly punished for his initial attempt to block the Rosneft deal related to the acquisition of Bashneft and thus restrain Rosneft’s growth. On a larger scale, the arrest serves as a warning from the security services: no one should challenge them.
“I think the goal of all this is to eliminate resistance,” says Vladimir Milov, an opposition politician and former deputy minister of energy. This is a signal: do not stand in my way. This is "a clear signal for all future transactions."
Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, believes that anyone trying to put Rosneft on money should be subject to a psychiatric examination, not a police investigation.
Ilya Shumanov from Transparency International says that a bribe in the amount of two million is a negligible, unreal amount, especially when it comes to the oil industry in Russia. Such money in Russia is taken by some deputy mayors.
Finally, the case of Ulyukayev writes agency Reuters. The material collected different points of view on the issue. We give two.
Grigory Yavlinsky admits that the Kremlin did not like the latest forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade that in the next twenty years Russia will face stagnation. The forecast could cause irritation and is regarded as disloyalty. “Night, arrest, minister ... Everyone should know: anything can happen to anyone at any time. Here is the main message. When there is less and less money to buy loyalty, there should be more fear. This is how the authoritarian system works. ”
Anatoly Chubais, the general director of Rosnano, said the following: “For us who know Alexei Ulyukayev more than 30 years, what happened is an absolute shock. But if you still try to remove emotions and even natural human sympathy for someone in need and think about the essence, not about politics, then it is worth remembering one golden rule: listen to both parties. One says: Ulyukayev threatened Rosneft and extorted a bribe. (Apparently, I have ceased to understand something in this world.) But we haven’t heard anything else yet! ”
The case of Ulyukayev, who presented the unusual role of a racketeer and a gangster, seems wild to both Western analysts and many Russian experts (the most varied: from people from the Ministry of Economic Development to Anatoly Chubais). It is also strange that they were talking about a couple of million dollars - money, which for many Russian officials, who are openly bathing in luxury, are pocket spending sums.
On the other hand, on the hand of Alexei Ulyukayev traces left after contact with the handle of the case with the money previously processed by the special personnel. It was a case with a million; the second million official allegedly promised to convey to the car. Ulyukaev’s defense does not deny that the money was present, however, he claims: he did not touch them.
In any case, the scandal with the former minister - a landmark. It is possible that other figures will fly for Ulyukaev and the next reshuffle will begin at a high level.
I think: the investigator exists,
I see: the files are filed,
I hear: at the right hand and shews
A throat is broken by piits.
Yes, calm down: forget the effect
Rhymes will soon be forgotten
But thought is not a goal at all, but a means
Like aspirin for colds.
Poet Prophet Ulyukaev
I see: the files are filed,
I hear: at the right hand and shews
A throat is broken by piits.
Yes, calm down: forget the effect
Rhymes will soon be forgotten
But thought is not a goal at all, but a means
Like aspirin for colds.
Poet Prophet Ulyukaev
Yesterday in 20: 50 Moscow time on President’s website there was a short message about the release of Alexei Ulyukayev from the post of Minister of Economic Development: “Vladimir Putin dismissed Alexey Ulyukayev by the decree of the post of Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation due to the loss of trust”.
This news shook the Western media, including the largest. Journalists and analysts began to wonder: what will happen next in Russia? Many Russian leaders, including those from the so-called liberal camp, are also guessworking. Even Chubais spoke about the detention of the “extortioner” Ulyukaev and the bribe case of two million greens.
Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukaev was arrested in Russia on charges of receiving a bribe in the amount of $ 2 million related to the privatization deal, writes Bloomberg. This is the first detention of such a large level, which occurred in Russia during the 16 years of Vladimir Putin’s rule, the newspaper notes.
Sixty-year-old Ulyukaev was taken into custody on Monday while attempting an action related to receiving cash, the Investigation Committee of Russia said. Later, the minister was accused of extortion: he demanded money from Rosneft in connection with the purchase by the company last month of an 50-percentage share of the regional oil company Bashneft. Mr Gridnev, a lawyer for Ulyukayev, assures the public that his client denies any violations of the law.
Ulyukayev himself, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, who was sitting at the defendant’s table during the hearing, said that he was cooperating with the investigation. The Moscow Basmanny Court granted the state's petition for the house arrest of Ulyukayev, which will last until January 15. Putin, the newspaper reminds, signed a decree on the release of Ulyukaev as minister, citing a "loss of confidence."
The detention of the “well-known liberal economist” shocked the government and the business elite, writes further edition. But what to say, if Putin himself “two years ago praised Ulyukaev, calling him“ one of our best specialists in the field of economics. ” In addition, the Rosneft deal is recognized as legal and is not subject to investigation.
“Ulyukaev was associated with liberal economic reforms since 1990, and many among the elite did not like him,” said Olga Kryshtanovskaya, an expert on the inner Kremlin circle working in the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Sociology. - O. Ch .). In her opinion, there can be "some kind of political motive."
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economics, Elena Lashkina, says the news of the arrest was “strange” and “amazing.” She added that the charges must be carefully examined.
The lawyer Gridnev believes that everything that happened in the Rosneft office was "rigged."
Rosneft declined to comment on exactly where the detention took place.
State television of Russia, meanwhile, issued news of the detention of the minister under the slogan "Fighting Corruption".
“This is clear evidence that the fight against corruption has reached a systemic level,” says Kirill Kabanov, head of the National Committee against Corruption (an independent research group in Moscow). He suggests that the Ulyukaev case may pull along with itself “other people, perhaps even of higher rank.”
According to the publication, today Ulyukaev is the most prominent figure among those who got into scandals related to Russian corruption. Here both governors, and deputy ministers, and officials of lower ranks, all of whom were accused of corruption, fraud and extortion.
Dmitry Polevoy, chief economist at ING (Moscow), believes that the “worst scenario” could be the beginning of an “offensive” on liberals in the government.
As for at least some details on the case of Ulyukaev, the Investigation Committee reports that its work began after information from Rosneft: they said that Ulyukaev allegedly threatened to “create obstacles in the future for the company” if the company did not pay a bribe. Investigators tapped Ulyukayev’s phone for several months.
"La Stampa" reminds that the Medvedev government for several hours refused to comment on the scandal with the minister.
The publication believes that in Russia there is a fierce struggle not only economic, but also political clans. If Putin’s man, by the name of Sechin, heads the “conservatives”, then the ex-minister Ulyukayev is from a stratum of “liberals” who, as is well known, are skeptical about the economic prospects of the Russian Federation.
Until now, Putin has kept a relative “balance” between liberals and nationalists in a close circle, but what will happen now? The author of the article, Anna Zafesova, does not think that the version about the beginning of the fight against corruption seems convincing to someone, since corruption in Russia has hit all levels of the system and is a “consent mechanism”. And arrests for bribes - only the result of the inter-clan struggle. Russian ministers, governors openly boast about wealth that they could not get in an official way. And the further, the less Putin allows himself to publicly “flog” his inner circle.
But on November 15, something changed: one part of the clan defeated the competition. “The fate of the Medvedev government is currently unknown, but we can definitely say that he does not have to hope for the best,” the author notes. The arrest of Ulyukayev will be a bad signal for foreign investors.
According to Zafesova, the arrest of the minister may indicate either the Kremlin’s reluctance to “keep the balance”, or that the Kremlin is no longer able to do this.
"New York Times" also dedicated an article to Ulyukayev’s cause.
On Tuesday, the Russians were woken up by a scandal, journalist Neil Macfarkar sneers. Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, a “liberal burly man whose style is a haircut under a porcupine,” was arrested. He was detained in the middle of the night: this is down to Soviet tactics.
The minister’s arrest is the rarest case of detecting bribery outside the high walls of the Kremlin, although corruption in Russia flourishes everywhere.
Among the innumerable questions about what actually happened, one of the explanations turned out to be a “favorite”. The Kremlin is looking for a "life raft" for the economy. This line of analysts is based on the claim that Mr. Ulyukayev was allegedly punished for his initial attempt to block the Rosneft deal related to the acquisition of Bashneft and thus restrain Rosneft’s growth. On a larger scale, the arrest serves as a warning from the security services: no one should challenge them.
“I think the goal of all this is to eliminate resistance,” says Vladimir Milov, an opposition politician and former deputy minister of energy. This is a signal: do not stand in my way. This is "a clear signal for all future transactions."
Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, believes that anyone trying to put Rosneft on money should be subject to a psychiatric examination, not a police investigation.
Ilya Shumanov from Transparency International says that a bribe in the amount of two million is a negligible, unreal amount, especially when it comes to the oil industry in Russia. Such money in Russia is taken by some deputy mayors.
Finally, the case of Ulyukayev writes agency Reuters. The material collected different points of view on the issue. We give two.
Grigory Yavlinsky admits that the Kremlin did not like the latest forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade that in the next twenty years Russia will face stagnation. The forecast could cause irritation and is regarded as disloyalty. “Night, arrest, minister ... Everyone should know: anything can happen to anyone at any time. Here is the main message. When there is less and less money to buy loyalty, there should be more fear. This is how the authoritarian system works. ”
Anatoly Chubais, the general director of Rosnano, said the following: “For us who know Alexei Ulyukayev more than 30 years, what happened is an absolute shock. But if you still try to remove emotions and even natural human sympathy for someone in need and think about the essence, not about politics, then it is worth remembering one golden rule: listen to both parties. One says: Ulyukayev threatened Rosneft and extorted a bribe. (Apparently, I have ceased to understand something in this world.) But we haven’t heard anything else yet! ”
* * *
The case of Ulyukayev, who presented the unusual role of a racketeer and a gangster, seems wild to both Western analysts and many Russian experts (the most varied: from people from the Ministry of Economic Development to Anatoly Chubais). It is also strange that they were talking about a couple of million dollars - money, which for many Russian officials, who are openly bathing in luxury, are pocket spending sums.
On the other hand, on the hand of Alexei Ulyukayev traces left after contact with the handle of the case with the money previously processed by the special personnel. It was a case with a million; the second million official allegedly promised to convey to the car. Ulyukaev’s defense does not deny that the money was present, however, he claims: he did not touch them.
In any case, the scandal with the former minister - a landmark. It is possible that other figures will fly for Ulyukaev and the next reshuffle will begin at a high level.
Information