MOSCOW, June 9 (RAPSI) – A group of State Duma lawmakers have sent a letter to Prosecutor General Yury Chaika demanding that he order an investigation of the state corporation Rusnano and its chief executive, Anatoly Chubais, Izvestia newspaper writes on Monday, citing the letter.
Anatoly Chubais, the current chief of Rusnano, has served in several key capacities including head of the State Property Management Committee, finance minister, deputy prime minister, first deputy prime minister and chief of Kremlin staff. He was one of the leaders behind the 1990s economic reforms in Russia.
According to the newspaper, the collective letter was forwarded to the prosecutor by Oksana Dmitriyeva, first deputy head of the State Duma Budget and Tax Committee. The deputies suspect Rusnano management of committing at least nine violations that are punishable under the Criminal Code.
“I’m asking you to investigate transactions that were financed with funds that are suspected to have been laundered, have unsubstantiated tax benefits, an understated tax base, and possibly fraudulent VAT recovery during export-import transactions, which have been uncovered [at Rusnano] by the Audit Chamber,” the letter reads.
The newspaper writes that the lawmakerss asked the Audit Chamber to examine Rusnano operations back in late 2011. The audit was completed in 2013, and the chamber sent its conclusions to the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee. However, the law enforcement agencies conclusions did not merit an investigation, the newspaper said.
The lawmakers’ letter cites several transactions that raise questions. For example, an ebook deal with Plastic Logic, which is the global leader in the emerging field of plastic electronics, under which Rusnano was allegedly planning to withdraw money from Russia. Rusnano was allocated $440 million for this project.
Another suspect deal was made with Liotech, which was established in 2010 as a Rusnano project company to implement strategic objectives in energy savings and in converting vehicles to environmentally clean energy uses. According to the newspaper, the Investigative Committee did show interest in that deal.
The lawmakerss also claim that Rusnano distorted its financial statements.