MOSCOW, December 13 - RAPSI. The Prosecutor's Office of Tatarstan has referred to court a criminal case regarding the theft of $4.1 million- worth Gazprom shares from foster children, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Tuesday.

The president of the Republic of Tatarstan earlier granted 19-20 vouchers to orphan asylums' inmates . The vouchers were then converted into Gazprom shares.

Investigators say the suspects managed to obtain a list of children in possession of shares and then persuaded or intimidated them into giving them the shares. "The suspects thereby stole Gazprom shares worth 130 million rubles ($4.1 million) from 22 people between August 2006 and December 2009," the Prosecutor General's Office reported.