MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) – Investigators have put two suspects in embezzling natural gas worth 30 billion rubles ($455 million) from Gazprom energy giant on the federal wanted list, the Investigative Committee’s press service reports Wednesday.
The suspects are acting executive director of Budennovskgazprombytservis company Uali Yevgamukov and executive director of a Nevinnomyssk branch office of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol Umar Kalmykov, the statement reads.
On February 1, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court detained Raul Arashukov, the father of a member of Russia’s Federation Council representing Karachay-Cherkess Republic Rauf Arashukov and CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, until March 30 as part of the gas embezzlement case. Moreover, the court placed branch manager of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol Guzer Khashukoyev, CEO of Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Astrakhan and Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Astrakhan Ruslan Arashukov, first deputy CEO of Gazprom Gazoraspredelenie Stavropol Nikolay Romanov and CEO of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Stavropol Igor Travinov in jail for the same term.
According to investigation, all of them are involved in gas embezzlement from Gazprom company. The top managers have been allegedly stealing gas from the state-run energy giant over a period of several years.
Raul Arashukov pleads not guilty and calls the case against him fabricated.
On January 30, the court put his son and Russian senator Rauf Arashukov in detention for two months on charges of murder, participation in a gang and witness tampering. According to investigators, the senator was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movement’s deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican president’s advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010. The defendant has pleaded not guilty.
Moreover, investigators believe that the senator is implicated to natural gas embezzlement from Gazprom company.
He was arrested in the Federation Council on January 30. The upper house of parliament stripped Arashukov of his immunity and gave consent to his prosecution upon an application by the Prosecutor General.
