What is Ulyukaev being tried for? What is the ex-Minister of Economic Development Aleksey Ulyukaev being tried for? And who is Ulyukaev
Igor Sechin nevertheless testified in the Ulyukaev case in court. The interrogation of the head of Rosneft took place behind closed doors and lasted an hour and a half.
Consideration of a complaint against the sentence against the Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev in the Moscow City Court began today.
Well, Sechin testified, so what?
The trial of Ulyukaev in the court of first instance began on August 8 and ended on December 15, 2017. The head of Rosneft was sent a summons several times, but he never came to court, limiting himself to written testimony. Ulyukayev's defenders insisted that the court could not refer to such testimony.
Therefore, the appearance of Igor Sechin in court became a small sensation. He himself did not talk to reporters, and the company's press secretary Mikhail Leontiev explained that no one pressed Sechin, he came to court "when the opportunity arose."
“He is a law-abiding citizen,” Mikhail Leontiev emphasized.
Why behind closed doors?
As the prosecutor explained, the journalists were not allowed into the courtroom, since it would be about buying a stake in Bashneft, and this information is a commercial secret of the Rosneft company.
Ulyukaev himself and his lawyers objected to the closed interrogation. According to lawyers, during the trial, the former minister of economic development and his deputies, as well as the head of the Federal Property Management Agency, were interrogated, and in these cases there was no talk of a closed regime.
And who is Ulyukaev?
Aleksei Valentinovich Ulyukaev is an economist who was an associate of Yegor Gaidar and an adviser to the Yeltsin government during economic reforms in the 1990s. From 2000 to 2004, he worked as First Deputy to the then Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin, and in 2013 he headed the Ministry of Economic Development. On November 15, 2016, he was detained on suspicion of bribery.
Ulyukaev bribed Sechin?
Vice versa. Ulyukaev allegedly demanded the bribe after the successful completion of a deal for Rosneft to buy shares in the state company Bashneft. The Ministry of Economic Development gave a positive opinion, and Rosneft acquired a controlling stake in Bashneft - 50.08 percent for 330 billion rubles.
As a bonus for good work, Ulyukayev demanded $2 million, otherwise his department would have created problems for the company. Sechin agreed, and after receiving the money, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development was caught red-handed.
And why wasn't Sechin detained?
According to the materials of the investigation, after Ulyukaev's proposal, the head of the Rosneft security service, Oleg Feoktistov, who previously worked for the FSB, filed an application addressed to the director of the service, Alexander Bortnikov, in which he announced a demand for a bribe. Under the statement is the signature of Igor Sechin. Moreover, the head of Rosneft agreed to participate in the operational experiment and handed over the money personally.
That is, Ulyukaev was detained because of Sechin's statement?
Yes. However, an unnamed law enforcement source told reporters that Ulyukaev had been under FSB surveillance for more than a year before his arrest. However, whether this was related to bribery or any other issues is unknown.
Oleg Feoktistov, then head of Rosneft's security service, holds the rank of FSB general and left government service shortly before the Ulyukaev case arose. The ex-minister of economic development himself calls the case against himself a provocation, and Feoktistova considers it the main organizer.
How did it happen?
The money was in a bag that Ulyukaev took from Sechin's office. During the arrest, the then Minister of Economic Development stated that there was a gift in the bag (and, as the defense insists, he was really sure of this). However, operatives found money in it, previously processed by a special compound.
Traces of the substance were found on the hands of Ulyukayev and his driver. He said that he helped Ulyukaev put the bag in the trunk. This means that the bag itself was treated with special equipment.
The court was provided with audio recordings made in Sechin's office during their conversation with Ulyukaev. However, the words "money" or "bribe" are not found in them. We are talking about a certain task that Rosneft employees completed. Sechin apologizes that the process dragged on. Also, a "sausage basket" is mentioned several times.
Forensic experts came to the conclusion that the conversations are a kind of cipher, where both interlocutors know perfectly well what is at stake. But did they mean the same thing?
Did Sechin give sausage to Ulyukaev? What for?
The notorious sausage basket has already become a kind of meme on the net. However, Igor Sechin really had a habit of giving sausage to friends and partners. Naturally, we are not talking about the usual products of meat processing plants. Sechin is fond of hunting, and delicacies from the meat of wild animals killed by a top manager of Rosneft are cooked in one of the company's offices. And then unique sausages, frankfurters and sausages get into gift sets.
So the offer to take Ulyukaev's sausage basket would not have surprised him in any case.
Ulyukaev pleaded not guilty?
No. Today, the Moscow City Court is considering a complaint in which lawyers ask to acquit the ex-minister. According to Ulyukaev's defenders, the verdict of the court of first instance is based on conjecture and accusatory bias, and no real evidence of guilt has been provided.
Is there really no real evidence?
The court evaluates the evidence presented.
However, the trial against Ulyukaev is called strange by many. In the verdict, the judge of the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow, Larisa Semenova, referred to the fact that the statement of Feoktistov and Sechin was a confirmation of the guilt of the ex-minister, but in existing practice this is only a pretext for initiating a criminal case.
Oleg Feoktistov became the main witness in the case in the absence of Igor Sechin. However, he gave testimony from hearsay, and he himself was not present during the conversation between Sechin and Ulyukaev.
One way or another, the court considered the evidence provided sufficient and found Ulyukaev guilty of taking a bribe from the head of Rosneft. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in a strict regime colony and a fine of 130.4 million rubles.
The verdict was criticized by Mikhail Kasyanov, Alexei Kudrin, Ksenia Sobchak and Grigory Yavlinsky.
Alexey Valentinovich Ulyukaev is the head of the Ministry of Economic Development and has held this position since June 2013. Formerly - Deputy of the Moscow City Duma, First Deputy Minister of Finance, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank. He has a doctorate in economics.He belonged to a group of young economists and sociologists, such as Yegor Gaidar, Pyotr Aven, Anatoly Chubais, who attempted to seriously comprehend the state of affairs in the country's economy, and was also among the members of the Perestroika social and political club.
The early years of Alexei Ulyukaev. Education
The future representative of the executive power of the Russian Federation was born in the capital on March 23, 1956. His father, Valentin Khusainovich, the son of a Tatar janitor, devoted his whole life to scientific work and teaching within the walls of the State University of Land Management. He is listed as the author of about 70 publications, including three textbooks and five teaching aids for higher education. The mother of the future economist was Raisa Vasilievna Ulyukaeva.4 years after the birth of their first child, a second child appeared in their family - Sergey, Alexei's brother, who later became a successful entrepreneur, owner of several companies and one of the founders of the famous Moscow bowling center Bi-Ba-Bo.
At school, Alyosha was an excellent student, but when in 1973 he received a certificate from one of the schools near Moscow and decided to enter the Faculty of Economics of the State University. N.V. Lomonosov (Moscow State University), the first attempt was unsuccessful, but the next year he nevertheless entered the list of applicants who successfully passed the entrance examinations. In the interval between school and university, Alexei Valentinovich worked as a full-time laboratory assistant at the Department of Physics at the institute where Valentin Khusainovich was a professor. Alexey Valentinovich studied well, during his student days he also published his first collection of poems in the Student Meridian magazine.
Labor and scientific activity of Alexey Ulyukaev
Having completed his postgraduate studies with a Ph.D. defense, Aleksey worked for 6 years (since 1982) at the Civil Engineering Institute at the Department of Political Economy. At this time, he became close to Yegor Gaidar, who, in turn, introduced him to Anatoly Chubais.In the mid-80s, Alexei Valentinovich was a participant in the economic seminars "Snake Hill", organized by Chubais and Gaidar. The seminars discussed ways to solve economic problems with innovative methods that go beyond the Soviet school.
From 1987 to 1988, Ulyukaev was a member of the economic clubs Perestroika and Democratic Perestroika. The head of the clubs, Yegor Gaidar, already singled out Ulyukaev as one of the most “advanced” economic theorists in his team.
In the period from 1988 to 1991, on the recommendation of Gaidar, Aleksey Valentinovich worked as an economic consultant, and subsequently took the chair of the deputy editor of the department responsible for covering the problems of political economy and economic policy in the then popular magazine Kommunist.
"Posner": Alexey Ulyukaev (2015)
In 1991, Ulyukaev was appointed deputy director of the International Center for Research on Economic Reforms, and at the same time worked for the Moscow News newspaper as a political observer.
From 1994 and (intermittently) until 2000, Ulyukaev served as director of the Gaidar Institute for Economic Problems in Transition. In 1998, Alexey Valentinovich successfully defended his thesis at the University of Pierre Mendes-France in Grenoble (France) and received a doctorate in economics.
In 2000, Ulyukaev began teaching at the Department of General Economics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), where he taught for the next six years.
In the period from 2007 to 2010, he was entrusted with a responsible mission - he headed the Department of Finance and Credits of the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University.
Political career of Alexei Ulyukaev
In 1991, Yegor Gaidar included Alexei Ulyukaev in the government team he had formed. In the period from 1991 to 1992, he was empowered as an economic adviser to the government, and also served as an assistant to Yegor Gaidar. From 1992 to 1993 he led a group of economic advisers. 
In 1993, Alexey Valentinovich became an assistant to the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Under the leadership of Gaidar, Ulyukaev participated in the development and implementation of reforms, which later became known as "shock therapy". When Yegor Timurovich resigned and later became head of the administration of the Institute for Economic Problems in Transition, Ulyukaev followed him and was appointed his deputy in the same IET.
Ulyukaev's activities were also inextricably linked with the political council of the Democratic Choice of Russia party - in 1995-1997 he headed its Moscow branch.
Alexey Ulyukaev about the Russian economy
In 1996-1998, Ulyukaev served as a deputy of the Moscow City Duma from the districts of Zyuzino, Kotlovka, Cheryomushki and Obruchevsky, dealt with the investment policy of the capital. After the expiration of his term of office, he returned to the IET and until 2008 was a member of its academic council.
In 1999, having two years of deputy experience in the capital, he ran for the State Duma on the lists of the Union of Right Forces (on the federal list), and also put forward his candidacy in the Chertanovsky single-mandate constituency. However, in both cases he was disappointed: the Union of Right Forces did not get enough votes for Ulyukaev, who was on the extended list of the party, to enter the Duma, as for the municipal district, Alexei Valentinovich lost to Sergei Shokhin, a nominee from the Fatherland - All Russia faction, whom he supported personally Yuri Luzhkov.
In 2000, Anatoly Chubais invited Ulyukaev to the position of Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation (Aleksey Kudrin) in the government of Mikhail Kasyanov. The economist worked as a member of the Federal Government Commissions, at the German Gref Center for Strategic Research, supervising work on the problem of reforming the sphere of interbudgetary relations.
In 2004, Mikhail Fradkov took over the government, and although Kudrin retained his post, Ulyukayev was promoted to the position of first deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank. In May of the same year, his name was included in the Board of Directors of the Central Bank. In this position, Ulyukaev led the Monetary Policy Committee and appeared in the media as a speaker for the organization, regularly commenting on current economic issues, since the chairman of the board of the Central Bank, Sergei Ignatiev, did not like public appeals.
Subsequently, in 2013, Ulyukaev was one of the potential candidates for the post of chairman of the board of the Central Bank, but in the end, Vladimir Putin preferred to see Elvira Nabiullina in this post.
In December 2008, at a meeting of the board of directors of CJSC Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, Ulyukaev was elected its chairman. In this post, he worked until 2011, later Sergey Shvetsov was appointed to his place.
On June 24, 2013, the politician was appointed Minister of Economic Development (MED) of the Russian Federation, replacing ex-Minister Andrei Belousov.
In January 2015, Alexey Valentinovich was nominated as a member of the Supervisory Board at VTB Bank.
In October 2015, by order of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the candidacy of Alexei Ulyukaev was approved for inclusion in the new board of directors of the domestic "Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises" (SMEs). Later, it was he who was asked to head the board of directors.
Personal life of Alexei Ulyukaev
Alexey Ulyukaev is married for the second time. First wife - Tamara Ivanovna Usik (born 1951), economist. The current wife of the minister, Yulia Sergeevna Khryapova (born 1983), is a native of the Crimean region, a researcher at the Institute for Economic Policy named after. E.T. Gaidar. A plot of 1.4 thousand sq.m., 2 apartments (61 and 46 sq.m.), as well as five land plots in Crimea with a total area of 1.8 thousand sq.m., two mansions (162 and 250 sq.m.). 
Alexey Valentinovich raised two sons and a daughter. One of the sons, Dmitry Ulyukaev (born 1983), connected his life with cinema. His name appeared in the credits of six films as a cinematographer.
According to 2014 data, the head of the department owns real estate of 112 thousand square meters, namely, 15 plots of land (111 thousand square meters), 3 residential buildings (943 square meters), 3 apartments (331 square meters), as well as three cars and one trailer. Income in 2013 was 85.7 million rubles, in 2014 - 51.5.
In his spare time, the politician and economic figure writes poetry. On sale you can find two collections of his poems called "Fire and Glow" (2002) and "Alien Coast" (2012), published by the Vagrius publishing house. Critics noted that the opuses of the statesman are curious, although they do not carry great poetic value. There were also more negative reviews about his work in the media, in particular, the poems "Go, my son, go away" were called shocking and anti-Russian.
In addition to literary creativity, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development is fond of tourism and rowing, loves swimming. In an interview with Posner, he admitted that in women, first of all, he appreciates sex appeal and attractiveness, and in men - kindness and decency. Prosperity, he considers an important condition for freedom. And he would take with him to a desert island: from books - "Robinson Crusoe", from films - "My friend Ivan Lapshin", and from interlocutors - Vladimir Pozner.
In 2006, he "became famous" for a scandal at the airport, after there was no business class seat for him and his wife on the plane. As a result of the incident, the departure of the aircraft was even postponed, but the official, outraged to the core, flew away on German Gref's own plane.
Alexey Ulyukaev now
In 2016, Alexey Ulyukaev was still in the post of Minister of Economic Development. Among his latest initiatives are the simplification of the dismissal procedure and the increase in the retirement age to 63-65 years, regardless of gender. According to the minister, for the growth of the country's economy, it is not enough to stimulate the market alone, it is necessary to increase the flexibility of the labor market. Also, attention should be focused on investing in Russia's infrastructure, as well as in innovative areas: science, education, medicine.Alexey Ulyukaev on the prospects for the Russian economy
In February 2016, during a meeting with Austrian Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, the head of the department called on Austrian entrepreneurs to take part in the privatization of Russian assets. Earlier, the official informed the public that in 2016 the Russian authorities plan to cover the budget deficit by selling large state-owned stakes in about six enterprises, including Rosneft, VTB Bank, Bashneft, Sovcomflot, and the diamond mining company ALROSA.
On the night of November 15, 2016, Ulyukaev was detained by the FSB. The minister was suspected of taking a $2 million bribe. It was reported that for this amount he had to approve the purchase by Rosneft of a controlling stake in Bashneft. In this regard, a criminal case was opened against Ulyukaev. The former minister was sentenced to 8 years in a strict regime and a fine of 130 million. “I consider the verdict unfair and I will continue to fight,” Ulyukaev said at the announcement of the verdict on December 15, 2017.
Ulyukaev Alexey Valentinovich- Russian statesman, Minister of Economic Development (2013-2016), First Deputy Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin (2000-2004), associate of Yegor Gaidar in the 90s. Alexey Ulyukaev - Doctor of Economics. Since November 15, 2016 - accused of extorting a bribe in the amount of 2 million US dollars from the executive director of the Rosneft company Igor Sechin. On December 15, 2017, the court found Aleksey Ulyukaev guilty of taking a bribe, the ex-minister was sentenced to eight years in a strict regime colony and a fine of 130 million rubles.
The early years and education of Alexei Ulyukaev
Father - Ulyukaev Valentin Khusainovich(born in 1931) - professor-consultant of the Department of Land Law of the State University of Land Management.
Mother - Ulyukaeva Raisa Vasilievna(born in 1932) - pensioner.
Alexei studied well at school, which he graduated in 1973, after which he chose an economic education. Not enrolling at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University the first time, Aleksey Valentinovich got a job as a laboratory assistant at the department of physics at the institute where his father worked.
The following year, Alexey Valentinovich Ulyukaev entered the university.
Alexey Ulyukaev studied well. In addition, he began to write poetry. Alexey published the first selection of poems in the Student Meridian magazine.
After graduating from the university, Alexei Valentinovich Ulyukaev entered graduate school. Then he defended his PhD thesis. Alexey Ulyukaev speaks English and French.
Labor activity and career of Alexei Ulyukaev
Having defended his dissertation, Aleksey Valentinovich Ulyukaev has been working for 6 years at the Institute of Civil Engineering (MISI) since 1982 as an associate professor of the Department of Political Economy, this is reported in his biography on Wikipedia. During this period, Ulyukaev met Yegor Gaidar And Anatoly Chubais. I attended their seminars "Snake Hill", where they discussed ways to solve economic problems with innovative methods. Alexey Ulyukaev also participated in the work of the Perestroika and Democratic Perestroika clubs.
Since 1988, he worked as a consultant, then as head of the editorial department of the Kommunist magazine, where he was invited by Yegor Gaidar. In 1991, Alexei Valentinovich was already a political columnist for the Moscow News newspaper.
In 1991-1992, Alexei Ulyukaev, an economic adviser to the Russian government, a member of Yegor Gaidar's team, was considered an "advanced theorist." In 1992-1993, Alexei Valentinovich led a group of advisers to the chairman of the Russian government. In 1993-1994 he was an assistant to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yegor Gaidar.
1994-1996 and 1998-2000 Alexei Ulyukaev - Deputy Director of the Yegor Gaidar Institute for Economic Problems in Transition.
Once, thanks to Yegor Gaidar, in government circles, Alexey Ulyukaev continued to hold prestigious positions.
In the biography of Ulyukaev - professorship at the Department of General Economics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (2000−2006) and work as the head of the Department of Finance and Credit of the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University. Alexey Valentinovich received a Doctor of Economics (PhD) degree from the French University Pierre-Mendes France.
In 2000-2004, Ulyukaev was the First Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia Alexei Kudrin. Alexei Ulyukaev was invited under the patronage of Chubais to the government, according to his biography on Lente.Ru.
From April 2004 to June 2013, Alexey Valentinovich Ulyukaev was First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
From June 24, 2013 to November 15, 2016 Alexey Ulyukaev worked as the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
In January 2015, Alexey Valentinovich was nominated by the Russian government to be a member of the Supervisory Board of VTB Bank. On June 25, 2015, Alexey Ulyukaev was elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VTB Bank.
Alexey Ulyukaev in politics
Alexei Ulyukaev joined the Democratic Choice of Russia party in 1994, from 1995 to 1997 he was the head of its Moscow organization. At the same time, Aleksey Valentinovich ran for the State Duma on the list of the “Democratic Choice of Russia - United Democrats” bloc.
In 1996-1998, Alexey Ulyukaev dealt with investment policy issues as a deputy of the Moscow City Duma.
In 1999, Alexey Valentinovich Ulyukaev ran for the State Duma as a candidate from the Union of Right Forces party. lost Sergei Shokhin in the Moscow single-mandate constituency No. 204.
Income of Alexei Ulyukaev
It is known that the income of Alexei Ulyukaev for 2015 is about 60 million rubles. His wife had more than 15 million rubles. In addition, the Ulyukaev family owns property: 17 land plots, 3 residential buildings, 3 apartments and 3 cars.
Personal life of Alexei Ulyukaev
Ulyukaev's first wife - Tamara Ivanovna Usik- economist. Son Dmitry (born in 1983) is a cameraman and producer.
Second wife - Yulia Sergeevna Khryapina(born in 1983). The couple has two children - son Alexei (2005) and daughter Alexandrua (2010).
Brother - Ulyukaev Sergey Valentinovich, 06/20/1960 year of birth - entrepreneur. He was the founder of four commercial firms. He is, in particular, a co-owner of the Moscow bowling club Bi-Ba-Bo.
Alexey Ulyukaev is fond of poetry, writes poetry. His literary collections were published by the Vagrius publishing house (Fire and Light, Moscow, 2002). Then the light was seen by Alien Coast (published by Vremya, Moscow, 2012) and Avitaminosis (published by Vremya, Moscow, 2013).
Alexey Ulyukaev's hobbies include hiking, rowing and swimming.
Arrest and trial of Alexei Ulyukaev
On November 14, 2016, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukaev, was caught red-handed while receiving a bribe in the amount of $2 million. According to the news, a high-ranking official of the Russian government was under investigation by the FSB for more than a year, and his phone was tapped. A source in the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation said that back in October 2016, Ulyukaev wrote a letter of resignation.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the news about the detention of Alexei Ulyukaev, said that the charge against the official is very serious and requires very serious evidence. Peskov also said that Vladimir Putin knew about the operation of law enforcement agencies, as a result of which Minister Ulyukaev was detained. According to him, Putin "was reported at the time of the start of operational development, that is, he received all the information."
On the night of November 15, the Investigative Committee reported that a criminal case had been initiated against Alexei Valentinovich Ulyukaev on taking a bribe on an especially large scale. The official faces up to 15 years in prison.
On November 15, the Basmanny Court of Moscow released Aleksey Ulyukaev from custody and placed him under house arrest for two months. On the same day, after the court decision, by decree of the President of Russia, Ulyukaev was dismissed from the post of minister due to the loss of confidence.
In December, the Basmanny Court of Moscow confirmed to journalists the information that at the end of November, ten land plots and a residential building of the former Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexei Ulyukaev were seized as an interim measure.
As explained later in the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the court arrested at least 564 million rubles from Alexei Ulyukaev. In addition, the real estate of the former minister was also seized - he owned 15 real estate objects.
The trial in the case of Aleksey Ulyukaev began on August 8, 2017. At the same time, the former head of the Ministry of Economic Development, during a court hearing in the case of bribery, said that he had become a victim of a provocation. According to the defendant, this provocation was staged by the FSB, based on false testimony from the head of Rosneft. Igor Sechin and former vice president and head of security for the company Oleg Feoktistov.
Igor Sechin himself missed court hearings. Sechin's interrogation was supposed to take place on November 13, but the top manager did not appear at the meeting without explaining the reasons. The head of Rosneft also ignored the repeated summons to court. Sechin himself said that he would come to the meeting when he "coordinates the schedules."
In October, at a court hearing in the case of Ulyukaev, a video was shown, in which, according to investigators, the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, is giving a bribe to Alexei Valentinovich.
Alexey Ulyukaev, during an interrogation at the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow, stated that he had never threatened the head of Rosneft and had not demanded a bribe from him. “We are talking about a deliberately false denunciation by Sechin,” Ulyukaev said. He added that the top manager often gave him gifts and the last time he thought that there was wine in the bag, not money. “I remembered his promise in Goa to treat me to wine that I had never tasted. I had no doubt that the bag contained high-quality alcoholic drinks. In terms of volume and weight, that’s exactly what it seemed, ”said Ulyukaev.
The international reaction to the scandal involving the possible taking of a bribe by Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev is in line with the assessments made on Tuesday by various politicians, political scientists and experts, including including and in conversations with Gazeta.Ru. The main reaction is surprise, especially in relation to the official circumstances of the crime imputed to the former minister. At the same time, much attention is also paid to the emotional reaction of many representatives of the "liberal" elite. But most of all, Western journalists, as well as many of their colleagues in Russia, are interested in the main question: what was the real motive for the overthrow?
The interlocutor of Gazeta.Ru added that Ulyukaev aroused the interest of the expert community on November 6, during the next round of Russian-Chinese negotiations in St. Petersburg. The fact is that one of the documents signed at this meeting was a memorandum of understanding on the holding of the fourth Russian-Chinese Expo. The document was approved by the Ministry of Economic Development and from the Russian side, as well as by the Ministry of Commerce from the PRC side. The memorandum was signed by only two ministers: and Gao Huche. Ulyukaev's signature was not on the memorandum, despite the fact that the head of the Ministry of Economic Development was at the talks. Instead of Ulyukaev, the document was signed by his deputy.
In general, the international reaction to the arrest of Alexei Ulyukaev is consonant with bewilderment regarding the charges brought by independent domestic observers. This reaction was most concretely formulated in an interview with Gazeta.Ru by one of the authoritative economists associated with the EU financial system:
“It is strange that a bribe is paid in connection with a deal that was agreed upon long ago and at the highest level. It is clear that this is a struggle for power.”
However, according to the source, the actions of the Ministry of Economic Development in the EU have not changed after Ulyukaev replaced Nabiullina. Therefore, the interlocutor of Gazeta.Ru does not expect any sharp change in the economic course of Russia even after the possible resignation of Ulyukaev.
Shock, absurdity, disbelief
The question of the fate of Alexei Ulyukaev as an official was removed on Tuesday evening at the time of consideration in the Basmanny Court of Moscow of the issue of imposing a measure of restraint on the suspect. If throughout the day the comments of officials on the prospects of the case were reduced to a neutral “the court will decide”, which left some chances for a successful outcome for the economist, then after his dismissal by decree of President Vladimir Putin “due to loss of confidence”, there was no hope left for Ulyukaev .
Since the Minister of Economic Development was far from the only one who resisted Rosneft's pressure in the Bashneft deal, the reaction of representatives of the conditionally "liberal camp" of both officials and independent politicians was the most curious. The most significant, of course, was the statement by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, whose political future is likely to have been most affected by Ulyukayev's detention.
The chairman of the government was frank: “This is a difficult event for both the government and the government. What happened is beyond my comprehension.”
What exactly Medvedev could not accept - the fact of extorting a bribe from his direct high-ranking subordinates, the resonant disclosure of this fact by law enforcement agencies, or the named amount of the bribe - was not clear from what was said. At the same time, Alexei Kudrin, former Minister of Finance and now head of the Center for Strategic Research, who once left the government due to a conflict with Medvedev, believes that Ulyukaev’s dismissal is “a dramatic event for the government,” and such an accusation “casts a shadow on the government.”
Regarding Rosneft, the authorities argued for a long time: whether one state-owned company could participate in the privatization of another. According to one version, this was the reason for the postponement of privatization, which was announced in August by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
At the end of September, Igor Shuvalov announced the resumption of preparations for the sale of Bashneft and said that there were no restrictions on participation for Rosneft. Ulyukaev said at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in June that Bashneft shares could be sold "in a fairly short time" and the decision, according to the minister, would be made quickly. Already after Shuvalov's statement about the lifting of restrictions for Rosneft, in early October, it was Ulyukaev who said that Bashneft could be privatized during this month, while other officials spoke more cautiously, speaking about the deadlines until the end of the year.
Later, a government directive approved by Shuvalov was issued to members of the board of directors of Rosneft representing the interests of the Russian Federation. It says, in particular, that these board members must vote for a draft decision providing for the approval of Rosneft's participation in the capital of Bashneft by acquiring a 50.0755% stake in the latter at a price of no more than 330 billion rubles.
As a result, Bashneft was acquired by Rosneft without bidding. Rosneft completed the acquisition of the state-owned stake in Bashneft (50.075%) on October 12, paying 329.6 billion rubles. But another 25% remained in the possession of Bashkiria, and about 25% more - in free circulation. At the end of October, Rosneft filed an application for the acquisition of 100% of Bashneft.
A question of loyalty
A source of Gazeta.ru, who is familiar with the specifics of the activities of the special services responsible for economic security, whose scope of attention also includes transactions with the largest state assets, suggested that resignations of such a scale and such resonance never have only one reason - regardless of the scale abuse of power. Usually, according to the interlocutor, in addition to data on specific criminal offenses of an economic nature, the behavior of the object of "development", questions of its loyalty, sincerity of the "team game" play a decisive role.
The names of Anatoly Serdyukov were mentioned as similar examples in the conversation.
It can be said that it was the issue of loyalty, together with the existing substantive claims, that ultimately influenced their career.
Recall that Police General Denis Sugrobov made a rapid career in the structure responsible for combating economic crimes and corruption (the name changed several times due to reforms), but at some point his interests clashed with more significant forces. According to the interlocutor of Gazeta.Ru, success turned the young general's head, and he "stopped seeing the coast." In particular, the scandalous deprivation of the license of Master Bank in early 2014 is associated, among other things, with the activities of his wards. The ensuing conflict with an employee of the internal security department led Sugrobov and his closest associate Boris a to jail.
After several weeks of interrogations, General Kolesnikov, taking advantage of the imprudence of the guards, threw himself out of the window of the central building of the Investigative Committee in Moscow. Sugrobov's case is currently under consideration.
Former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov found himself in a somewhat similar, albeit less tragic, situation. Being appointed to an important post and carrying out a historic mission to reform the Armed Forces, he considered it possible for himself to make enemies both among his immediate subordinates among the generals and from business partners from the military-industrial complex. But his position remained stable until he somehow violated some unwritten norms, calling into question the solidity of the command in power.
The result was a loud dismissal and “the case, however, did not result in any serious personal consequences for Serdyukov as a result.
The situation with Alexei Ulyukaev has a number of similarities with the high-profile resignations of prominent officials. Among them, the restriction of the business interests of influential political players, an almost public demonstration of disloyalty to the current authorities - in the form of a forecast of a 20-year stagnation of the Russian economy - and, not least, a political alliance with.
The rise of Denis Sugrobov at one time would have been impossible without the patronage of the Deputy Minister of the Interior and classmate of Medvedev Valery Kozhokor. Medvedev, on the other hand, gave apparatus weight, taking his side in a conflict with Alexei Kudrin regarding the distribution of budget revenues. In the conflict around Bashneft, Medvedev also took the same side as Alexei Ulyukaev and Igor Shuvalov, not considering it possible for the state-owned Rosneft to acquire a state-owned asset as part of privatization.
As both foreign media and domestic publications especially noted, in the “development” of Ulyukaev, the connection between the FSB and the security service of Rosneft showed itself perfectly. The latter in September - which means already in the course of the operation - was led by invitation, who had previously worked in the FSB's own security department and waged a successful war against Denis Sugrobov.
/ Mikhail Voskresensky
On Friday, December 15, the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow recognized the former Minister of Economic Development of Russia Alexey Ulyukaev in accepting a $2 million bribe from Head of Rosneft Igor Sechin and sentenced him to eight years in a strict regime colony.
Ulyukaev was detained on the evening of November 14, 2016 at the Rosneft office on Sofiyskaya Embankment in Moscow. The detention was carried out by the Investigative Committee with the operational escort of employees of the Economic Security Department of the FSB of Russia.
On November 15, 2016, Ulyukaev was formally charged under part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (taking a bribe by a person holding a public position in the Russian Federation, extorting a bribe and on an especially large scale).
On the same day, the Basmanny Court of Moscow placed Ulyukaev under house arrest. After the decision of the court by its decree Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ulyukaev from the post of Minister of Economic Development "due to loss of confidence."
What is the essence of the matter?
According to investigators, the official extorted this amount from the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, for a positive decision on a deal to privatize the state-owned stake in Bashneft.
On November 27, during an interrogation in court, Ulyukaev said that he discussed the privatization of Bashneft with Igor Sechin during a "billiard game at the BRICS summit in Goa."
According to the head of the Rosneft company, Ulyukaev extorted a bribe of $2 million during the summit for a positive opinion issued by the Ministry of Economic Development, which granted Rosneft the right to carry out a deal to acquire the state-owned 50% stake in Bashneft.
According to Sechin, Ulyukaev extorted a bribe with a two-finger gesture (a sign of victory) at the moment when the head of Rosneft was playing billiards with Head of VTB Andrey Kostin.
Where was the bribe given?
According to Sechin, Ulyukaev called him on November 14, 2016 and insisted on a meeting in his office, where the briefcase with money was handed over to the minister. According to Ulyukaev, Sechin was the first to call.
On the street near the Rosneft office, Sechin took Ulyukaev to the Christmas tree and, with the words “take it,” pointed to the bag standing on the ground. According to Ulyukaev, he took it, being sure that inside was the wine that Sechin had promised him back in Goa.
In September 2017, during the Eastern Economic Forum, Sechin told reporters: “I will testify to you right now. Look: while in the position of minister, Ulyukaev demanded illegal remuneration. He himself determined its size, he himself came for it, he took it with his hands, loaded it into the car and left. In accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, this is a crime.”
Did Ulyukaev admit his guilt?
Ulyukaev pleaded not guilty, calling himself a victim of a provocation. He believed that in the heavy bag that he received from Sechin on the day of his arrest, there was wine allegedly promised by the head of Rosneft, with which he promised to treat Ulyukaev. According to the former minister, Sechin insistently invited Ulyukaev to his office in a telephone conversation. According to Ulyukaev, he was sure that the upcoming privatization of 19.5% of Rosneft shares owned by Rosneftegaz would be discussed. During the meeting, Sechin said the words "gathered the volume." According to the defendant, he thought that it was about the funds that Rosneft wants to use to buy these shares.
What punishment threatens Ulyukaev?
The prosecutor's office demanded that Ulyukaev be sentenced to ten years in a strict regime colony and a fine of 500 million rubles, as well as to deprive the official of state awards.
When sentencing, the court took into account Ulyukaev’s positive characteristics, the presence of children and elderly parents, as well as chronic diseases, and sentenced the former minister to eight years in a strict regime colony, and also fined him more than 130 million rubles.
How long did the trial take?
The trial began on August 8, 2017. The criminal case was transferred to the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow. Judge Larisa Semenova repeatedly denied Ulyukaev's defense a request to return the case back to the prosecutor's office due to contradictions in the indictment.