MOSCOW, August 16 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian Investigation Committee (IC) sent to court a criminal case of ex-director of a uranium-trading company who was an associate of the ex-head of Minatom (Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy) who was earlier convicted of swindling, Itar-Tass learnt from the committee’s spokesman Vladimir Markin.
“The investigative department of the Russian Investigation Committee for the Central Federal District completed the investigation of a criminal case against former president of the Russian-American company Globe Nuclear Services and Supply GNSS, Limited Alexander Chernov, charged with committing a crime, provided for by Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code (swindling),” Markin said.
According to a version of the investigation, he was a member of the group of former Minatom head Yevgeny Adamov, convicted earlier of swindling.
“In 1998-1999, Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov formed a criminal group, including Alexander Chernov as well as director of the state research centre “Troitsky institute of innovation and thermonuclear research” Vyacheslav Pismenny and director-general of Tekhsnabexport firm Revmir Fraishtut, in order to embezzle property, belonging to organisations and enterprises, controlled by the ministry, including Tekhsnabexport firm,” the committee spokesman said.
According to Markin, “as a result of joint illegal actions of the above persons, 62 percent of shares of the Russian-American joint venture on uranium trading, GNSS, were handed over to a private American company, controlled by Pismenny”. Russian structures were deprived of profits for more than 30 million dollars.
“Besides, in December 1999 the Tekhsnabexport management wrote off (on Adamov’s orders) GNSS debts, totalling over 113 million dollars for uranium products, supplied by Russia, but not paid for. Incidentally, the Russian Federation’s budget did not receive as a tax on profit over 900 million roubles,” Markin specified.
“Chernov escaped from the investigation, and was put on the international Wanted List in 2006. A measure of restraint in the form of putting him into custody was taken against him in absentia. It was established during the investigation that he obtained a US citizenship in 2005. Despite measures, taken to track him down and extradite, it was impossible to ensure Chernov’s participation in the criminal case,” the spokesman said.
Nevertheless, “evidence, collected by the investigation now, helped to issue a ruling on calling to responsibility Chernov as a defendant and to forward a criminal case against him to court to examine in essence,” Markin emphasised.
“The criminal case against other members of the organised crime group was earlier separated into individual proceedings and forwarded to court. In February 2008, Adamov, Pismenny and Fraishtut were found guilty of actions, incriminated to them and sentenced to various forms of punishments,” noted the committee spokesman.
Former Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov was detained in Bern on May 2, 2005 on an appeal of the US that accused him of embezzling nine million dollars, granted to Russia for nuclear security projects. Later, he was extradited to Moscow on Russia’s appeal.
In February 2008, Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky Court sentenced Adamov to 5.6 years of a colony with a general regime. He was found guilty under articles of the Russian Criminal Code “Swindling”, “Abuse of office”, “Excess of powers”. Later, the Moscow City Court changed the verdict, mitigating the real punishment to a 5.6 years of probation. According to the sentence, “Adamov, a member of an organised group, illegally grabbed the controlling block of shares of the Russian-American joint venture on uranium trade. As a result, the defendants inflicted a big damage to Russia with their actions”.