14 May 2004 17:36
Criminal case against governor politically motivated - Russian senator
The law-enforcement bodies' attention to Saratov Region's governor Dmitriy Ayatskov may be connected with
the region's forthcoming gubernatorial elections. Ramazan Abdulatipov, Saratov Region's representative at the
Russian Federation Council, made this statement in an interview to Ekho Moskvy.
According to some media reports, the prosecutor's office has opened a criminal case against Ayatskov under
article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, relating to "abuse of office". The proceedings
were instituted after an unlawful instruction was issued [by Ayatskov] to settle a debt of R70m [about 2.5m dollars] to
the Saratov customs for duty payable on Case combine harvesters. The combine harvesters arrived in the region from
abroad in 1998 and subsequently came into possession of the Agroton private company. Ayatskov has denounced earlier
reports about a search conducted in his office.
Abdulatipov said he was not aware of a criminal case initiated against Ayatskov. In his view, such attention on the
part of law-enforcement bodies to Ayatskov's activities might "to a certain extent be [related to]
preparations for the oncoming gubernatorial election", Abdulatipov said.
"Ayatskov is not the kind of man to be engaged in activities running counter to the law," Abdulatipov said.
"He is an experienced person and a hard-working governor," Abdulatipov said.
"The money involved in the so-called Case [combine harvesters] are within the law, there are no bribes or fraud
involved," Abdulatipov said.
[Ekho Moskvy news agency] |
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