Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin Dodges Court Appearance Again

Nov. 15, 2017

Former Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev (back), seen outside Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky District Court ahead of a hearing (Mikhail Pochuyev / TASS)

The CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft and key witness in a bribery case against a former minister has been summoned to appear in court for the third time.

Former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev has been under house arrest since his detention last November. He is suspected of demanding $2 million to approve the purchase of the Bashneft oil firm by Rosneft.

Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontiev told the state-run TASS news agency that Sechin didn’t show up because he was on a “scheduled business trip.”

Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin skipped two court dates this week despite the court sending him a summons by e-mail, fax and post.

Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky District Court judge ruled to issue a third summons to Sechin to testify at the next hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the news website Mediazona reported.

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