10 September 2003 09:19
Russian governor fails to show to hear corruption charges
Moscow, 10 September: Tver Region prosecutors on Wednesday [10 September] will formally charge governor Vladimir
Platov with abuse of office.
Platov is charged under a criminal statute over the embezzlement of R500m of state loan bonds, officials from the
Russian Prosecutor-General's Office have said. The securities were issued in 2002, to reduce the local budget
deficit.
Investigators said the tender had been won by a company run by the governor's acquaintance, Oleg Obzhigalov.
Obzhigalov promised the most advantageous redemption terms, as well as assistance in implementing promising commercial
projects in the region.
"He didn't have enough money and never intended to pay for the bonds," the Prosecutor-General's
Office said. "As a result, 500,000 bonds worth [R]500m were stolen." Just R100m were transferred to the
Finance Department. [Passage omitted]
Investigators said Platov had committed an offence by arranging for his acquaintance to win the tender and for the
transfer of the bonds into his hands without proper financial security.
Charges were also brought against the head of the regional finance department, Aleksandr Kotlyar, and Moscow
residents Oleg Obzhigalov and Pavel Volchkov.
[According to a report by Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0725 gmt 10 Sep 03, Platov failed to keep an
appointment for 1000 (0600 gmt) at the regional prosecutor's office today.
"The whereabouts of Platov are not known either to us or the governor's lawyers," Interfax was told by
the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office.]
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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