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Final charges brought against Russian ex-economy minister Ulyukayev

Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev was detained on November 14, 2016, while allegedly receiving a $2 mln bribe

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Final charges have been brought against former Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, spokeswoman for Russia’s Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko said on Tuesday.

"The Russian Investigative Committee’s Main Department for High-Profile Investigations has finally charged former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev with committing a crime stipulated by part 6, article 290 of Russia’s Criminal Code ("Large-Scale Bribe-Taking by a Person Holding a State Post of the Russian Federation"), she said.

The lawyers of the ex-economy minister earlier refused to comment on the reports on the alleged completion of investigative measures against Ulyukayev accused of receiving a $2 million bribe.

"I know nothing and I won’t say anything," lawyer Timofei Gridnev told TASS.

Ulyukayev’s other lawyer Alexander Vershinin gave the same answer. Meanwhile, lawyer Larisa Kashtanova said she did not have such information.

Ulyukayev was detained on November 14, 2016, while allegedly receiving a $2 mln bribe in exchange for the Economic Development Ministry’s consent to give the go-ahead to the oil major Rosneft’s acquisition of a 50.08% stake in another oil company, Bashneft, and was put under house arrest. On November 15, President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ulyukayev from his high-ranking post citing loss of trust.