Russia oil boss framed me, says ex-minister

ALEXEI ULYUKAYEV, Russia’s former economic development minister who lost his position after being arrested in a security agency sting, has accused the head of the country’s state oil giant of framing him.

Mr Ulyukayev, who in November became the first sitting minister to be detained by police since Soviet times, denied charges he had taken a $2million (£1.6 million) bribe to back Rosneft’s purchase of oil company Bashneft. Instead he pointed the finger at Igor Sechin, Rosneft’s head and Vladimir Putin’s former aide, who has been called Russia’s “Darth Vader” and is widely seen as the country’s second most powerful man.

“Charges have been fabricated against me that are based solely on [Mr] Sechin’s testimony,” he said in court. In his first comments since his arrest, Mr Ulyukayev claimed Mr Sechin had asked him to come to Rosneft headquarters to discuss the company’s affairs, where he was handed a briefcase full of money and members of the FSB security agency detained him.

Mr Ulyukayev faces 15 years prison if convicted.

The trial continues on Sept 1. in