Local legislators in Russian Far East go on hunger strike
[Presenter] Four members of the regional and city parliaments are on hunger strike in Vladivostok. The legislators
demand that a federal commission should be set up to investigate the activities of the Maritime Territory Court of
Arbitration. They say that they have collected evidence of corruption involving the court chairman and some high-ranking
officials from the Territory administration.
[Correspondent Pavel Sirotin] Parliament members on hunger strike - it sounds like a joke. But three members of the
Maritime Territory Duma and a Vladivostok city counsellor are quite serious and see a hunger strike as the final
recourse in achieving justice. They are demanding a probe into bankruptcy cases involving Maritime Territory's
largest fishing and mining companies. About a dozen of them were destroyed purposefully by the local administration
officials and the judiciary, they say.
[Adam Imadayev, captioned as Maritime Territory Duma member] Some firm brought a lawsuit against Dalmoreprodukt
[fishing company], which owed it R1m in arrears. This is the price of one jeep. Dalmoreprodukt paid this debt and its
general director presented a corresponding document to the arbitration court. But the court chairman, acting in a most
cynical and audacious manner, ordered a judge to launch the procedure of bankruptcy and suspended the general director.
As a result, 90 per cent of the assets were sold, people lost their jobs, and nobody was called to account.
[Correspondent] The bankruptcy of Dalmoreprodukt is just one of many scandalous stories that have been raising social
tension in Maritime Territory for years. Protest actions were held more than once. One of them was organized by Imadayev
during President Vladimir Putin's visit to the region. He managed to meet the president and demand an
investigation. The president promised to deal with the situation but no action was taken.
The deputies say the hunger strike will continue until a commission arrives from Moscow to find out the real cause of
the bankruptcies. And this cause, they say, was simple bribery.
[Valeriy Korolyuk, captioned as Vladivostok city counsellor] All state and municipal authorities should pay the
utmost attention to the problem of corruption. It was not by chance that the president has set up an anticorruption body
not by chance. It is very important.
[Correspondent] The chairman of the arbitration court has gone to Khabarovsk and is not reacting to the accusations.
[Passage omitted: other local officials and pro-governor media also are refraining from comment]
The Territory administration views the hunger strike as self-advertising in that Imadayev is rumoured to be going to
run for the post of Vladivostok mayor. Imadayev flatly denies the rumours. The date of a mayoral election has not yet
been announced, so it is not clear who is telling the truth. Meanwhile, the protesters say that several other local
legislators may join them in a few days.
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RUSSIA IN FACTS
