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| Russian court finds ex-minister Ulyukayev guilty of bribery | Russian court finds ex-minister Ulyukayev guilty of bribery |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Moscow court has found Russia's former Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev guilty of bribery. | A Moscow court has found Russia's former Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev guilty of bribery. |
| He is the first minister to stand trial in Russia's recent history. | He is the first minister to stand trial in Russia's recent history. |
| Ulyukayev was arrested in 2016, accused of trying to extort $2m (£1.5m) from state oil firm Rosneft to green light its purchase of another oil firm. | Ulyukayev was arrested in 2016, accused of trying to extort $2m (£1.5m) from state oil firm Rosneft to green light its purchase of another oil firm. |
| The accusation was made by Rosneft boss Igor Sechin, who is also one of President Vladimir Putin's closest aides. | The accusation was made by Rosneft boss Igor Sechin, who is also one of President Vladimir Putin's closest aides. |
| Mr Sechin was asked to testify but did not turn up. | Mr Sechin was asked to testify but did not turn up. |
| Ulyukayev had denied the charges and alleged that he was framed. | |
| The verdict read out by the judge said Ulyukayev had "made use of his position in order to demand from Rosneft chief Sechin a bribe, in exchange for giving approval" for the purchase of state-owned Bashneft. | |
| "At the same time he told Sechin he would in future obstruct the company's activities if it rebuffed him," the verdict said. | |
| Oleg Feoktistov, a former secret service officer who worked for Mr Sechin, testified that the bribery took place on the sidelines of a Brics forum in Goa, India. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa form the Brics group. | |
| "Using two fingers he indicated the sum he wanted to receive, which was equivalent to two million dollars," Mr Feoktistov said, citing what Mr Sechin had told him. | |
| Kremlin tensions | |
| Before being prosecuted, Ulyukayev was an influential liberal in the Russian elite, but not part of President Putin's inner circle. | |
| Mr Sechin's close ties to Mr Putin go back to the Soviet era, when they were both KGB secret service officers. | |
| BBC Russian reports that the case has highlighted rivalries at the apex of Russian politics. | |
| Mr Sechin's version of events prevailed - even though he did not testify - and inconsistencies have emerged in the case against Ulyukayev, BBC Russian reporter Sergei Goryashko says. | |
| Ulyukayev insisted he was innocent, saying he had no idea the bag given to him by Mr Sechin contained money. | |
| He said he thought it was expensive wine which, allegedly, Mr Sechin often presents to business partners along with speciality sausages, as gifts. |