Russian Police Arrest Current, Former Energy Officials in Fraud Probe

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian law enforcement authorities have arrested one current and one former deputy energy minister on suspicion of fraud, the Kommersant
business dailyreported Thursday, citing anonymous sources.Federal Security Service (FSB) agentsreportedly first arrested Anatoly Yanovsky,
Mochalnikov was later arrested alongside three other unidentified people as part of an investigation into Yanovsky, Kommersant
2014.Yanovsky and Mochalnikov areexpected to be charged with large-scale embezzlement and abuse of power, according to the Interfax news
agency
Kommersant said the charges could be pressed as soon as Friday.According to sources cited by Kommersant, several companies received billions
of rubles in government contracts, including for the closure of an unprofitable mine in the Perm region
However, some of the work was never completed, prompting authorities to launch an investigation this summer.Yanovsky was detained after
other coal industry figures were arrested last year and testified against him, the RBC news websitereported, citing an anonymous law
damages 12 billion rubles ($123.84 million).Mochalnikov is reportedly cooperating with the authorities, who will petition the court to place
him under house arrest instead of pre-trial detention.A Message from The Moscow Times:Dear readers,We are facing unprecedented challenges
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting
our staff at risk of prosecution
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia
The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide
accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced
But to continue our work, we need your help.Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference
If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2
It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent
journalism in the face of repression
set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.