On November 2, 2001, about 11 p.m. a deputy of the Tomsk City Duma from Yabloko, Chairman of the Commission for Fight with Corruption of the City Duma, member of the Yabloko party and ex-official of the Tomsk Public Prosecutor Office Eugeni Krotov was attacked.

According to information from the Chairman of the Tomsk City Duma and Head of the Tomsk regional branch of Yabloko Oleg Pletnyov, the attack took place near the house where Krotov lives. Four strangers attacked him with iron clubs. The deputy was taken to the neurosurgery department of the First City Hospital.

The commission headed by Krotov examines, in particular, issues connected with the activities of the city administration headed by the Mayor Alexander Makarov, including, the purchase of fuel oil by the Mayor's Office, and real estate deals. On the eve of the accident, on November 1, the commission held a meeting where the deputies discussed the aforementioned purchase of fuel oil

According to Pletnyov this is already the third case of a reprisal of deputies of the Tomsk City Duma over the past several years. In December 1997 the flat of deputy Vassiliy Eryomin was buried and two bottles with flaming liquid were thrown into the car of Oleg Pletnyov.

Pletnyov says that that the attack against Krotov is without a doubt related to his activity as a deputy and the performance of his commission. "This attack is 100% politics," stated Pletnyov.

The elections to the Tomsk City Duma took place on April 1, 2001. Krotov, Pletnyov, as well as several other deputies were elected from the "Opposition" block in intense confrontation to the Tomsk Mayor Makarov.

To clear up the situation deputy of the State Duma from the Yabloko faction Alexander Shishlov urgently flew to Tomsk on November 3. "We shall spare no effort to ensure a real investigation of the accident and punish the criminals responsible," stressed, Shishlov.

See also:

Yabloko against Corruption