MOSCOW, September 9 (RAPSI) – Deputy Minister of Energy Anatoly Tikhonov has been charged with embezzling over 603 million rubles ($8 million) from the Russian Energy Agency, according to a statement of the Russian Investigative Committee’s press service.

Investigators are going to seek detention of the official, his advisor Roman Ryzhkov and Vice-Presidents of Lanit company Vladimir Makarov and Victor Serebryakov, also charged in the case, the statement reads.

Reportedly, on Tuesday, law enforcement officers raided structures of the Ministry of Energy.

According to investigators, Tikhonov attempted to escape.