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Rosneft CEO skips another court hearing on Ulyukayev case citing busy schedule

The state prosecutors said however they saw no grounds for delaying the hearing because of Sechin’s absence

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. CEO of Russia’s oil giant Rosneft Igor Sechin was unable to attend Monday’s hearing of the criminal case against former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, who is charged with extorting a bribe.

"The work schedule also includes events of an international level, until the end of the year the schedule will be busier," Sechin’s lawyer Andrey Klen said in a letter, read out by Judge Larisa Semyonova.

Read also

Ex-Minister Ulyukayev suspected of extorting bribes maintains his innocence

Sechin has not changed his evidence against Ulyukayev and insists that it is true, the judge said. Therefore, the Rosneft CEO does not consider that he has to attend the court hearing.

Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky court on Monday continued the hearing on the criminal case against Ulyukayev. The former minister refuses to testify until Sechin is questioned.

The state prosecutors said however they see no grounds for delaying the hearing because of Sechin’s absence. The court has sent the fourth subpoena for Sechin.

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.

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