Fire harassment

The lawyers of the former Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev refused to interrogate the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, who did not appear in the Zamoskvoretsky district court of Moscow, Interfax reports . The defense announced the completion of the presentation of the evidence.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the court hears the additions of prosecutors and protection, and then goes to the debate.

On Monday, in court he testified to Ulyukaev, accused of extorting a bribe. He stated that he considers what happened by a provocation from Sechin. According to Ulyukaev, he was sure that in the Rosneft’s head of the “Rosneft”, there was wine - a gift in honor of the completion of the first stage of privatization of the Bashneft shares.

"When the bills in plastic bags were removed from the bag, I realized that Sechin’s insistent requests and detention are all a pre -planned action, provocation," the ex -minister said.

Ulyukaev noted that he never threatened Sichin to give a negative assessment that would not allow Rosneft to make a deal to acquire a state Bashneft stake in the amount of 50 percent. "I never threatened Sichin to give a negative conclusion. And they have given evidence that I threatened him, testify to the obviously false reservation from Sechin," the ex -minister said.

Ulyukaev also emphasized that neither the positive nor the negative conclusion of the Ministry of Economic Development played a key role in the transaction. The former minister also said that he did not give any instructions on the suspension or delaying the transaction on the privatization of Bashneft. According to him, the ministry headed by him did not have the authority to "suspend or cancel the transaction."

“I thought and now I believe that if it were Rosneft, if any other company with state participation, its participation in the privatization of state property is inappropriate, because it contradicts the spirit of privatization. But this is only my opinion, I do not make decisions,” said Ulyukaev.

At previous meetings, Ulyukaev expressed a desire to testify only after the interrogation of Sechin. Lawyers explained that if Sichin does not appear at the meeting on Monday, the defense will begin the interrogation of Ulyukaev.

Sechin did not come to court four times for hearing in the case of Ulyukaev, on which he was a witness to the prosecution . On November 11, Judge Semenova, on the initiative of the prosecutors, wrote out the first agenda Sichin . At the same time, the judge asked if the prosecutor’s office could provide a turnout. “Yes, we will provide,” the prosecutor Pavel Filipchuk assured. Sichin also ignored the next summons.

On November 16, Sechin explained the failure to appear in court by employment of Rosneft's business . “With regard to my participation in court: I will strive to fulfill the full requirement of Russian legislation in full. But at this stage, my main task is to fulfill my functional duties as the president of Rosneft,” Sechin said. He assured that he would certainly fulfill “all the necessary conditions,” as soon as it can be “coordinated by the necessary graphs”.

On November 22, a letter was received from the lawyer of the head of Rosneft. It notes that by the end of the year Sechin’s schedule is “very dense”, in connection with which he will not be able to take part in court . The letter was attached to documents on the business trips of Sechin on the APEC summit, in Sochi and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

On Monday, Judge Larisa Semenova said that the court received a statement from the lawyer of the head of Rosneft Andrei Klen, according to which Sichin could not appear in court due to business trip to Rome, as well as a stressful working schedule before the end of the year. "Sichin Igor Ivanovich believes that in court the testimony previously given to him, he supports them and confirms them. There is nothing more to add to him," the judge announced the lawyer's statement.

After that, the lawyer of the ex-minister Daridzhan Kveidze filed a motion to return the case to the prosecutor due to violations. So, in the opinion, data on the place, time, method and circumstances of the transfer of money to Ulyukaeva are not specified in the case file. In addition, lawyers reminded the court of the absence of confrontation between the head of Rosneft and Ulyukaev, which makes "the first testimony of the first at the hearing." "These violations violate Ulyukaev’s right to defense," Kveidze summed up. However, judge Semenova rejected the petition.