Ex-Russian minister mistakes $2 million cash for alcohol

A former Russian economy minister has denied accepting a bribe in return for approving the sale of a state-owned oil company in Russia, claiming he mistook a bag filled with $2 million in cash for a gift of alcohol.

Former Russian economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev claims he accepted a bag from oil company Rosneft chief executive Igor Sechin in November 2016, thinking it was a gift of expensive alcohol. In reality, it was a bag stuffed with $2m in cash, as reported by Reuters.

Prosecutors claim the bribe was given in exchange for Ulyukayev approving the sale of a state-controlled oil company Bashneft to Rosneft.

Police arrested Ulyukayev inside Rosneft headquarters shortly after Sechin handed him the cash inside a lockable brown bag and “a little basket with sausage” as a gift, prosecutors said. .

The next day President Vladimir Putin fired Ulyukayev.

Ulyukayev faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of accepting the $2 million cash.