Press Release, 27.05.2021

Photo: Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Uyba. /Photo by kremlin.ru

Alexei Karnaukhov, head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the Yabloko party, appealed to the Public Prosecutor General of Russia with a demand to check the legality of actions in the recent event of an oil spill and the ambiguous statements of Vladimir Uyba, the head of the Komi Republic.

The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre indicates a lack of reaction from the head of Komi and local authorities in relation to Lukoil-Komi company and an underestimation of the scale of the accident. The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre found out that previously, the company had been a sponsor of the local branch of the pro-government United Russia party and had been rendering services for local authorities.

The spill of 90 tons of oil from the Lukoil-Komi oil pipeline led to the pollution of the Kolva River. However, the head of Komi estimated the scale of the spill at 6 – 7 tons. Prior to this, the authorities had been ignoring reports from citizens about the oil spill. The media reported that at a meeting with residents of the village of Mutny Materik, Vladimir Uyba answered at the request of residents to convey information about the oil spill to the President of Russia: “What kind of Putin? For you, I am Putin. What kind of Putin do you want?” When asked a clarifying question “Are you our Putin?” the official added: “I am Putin for you, of course, who [else] am I for you?” Yet there have been no reports on the Komi administration lodging any claims against the Lukoil-Komi company.

According to the project Koshel’ki Partiy (Parties’ Money Bags), the subsidiary structure of Lukoil sent United Russia a contribution of 40 million roubles. In the same year, a pay back was performed, but the company continued to provide services for the authorities. Thus, the corporation received 32 million roubles for the purchase of housing and resettlement of residents from dilapidated housing in the Komi Republic. In the neighbooring Nenets Autonomous District, Lukoil-Komi even rents out premises for the local administration and sells apartments to the public prosecutor’s office. Such close contacts of Lukoil with officials in the regions can ensure the loyalty of the authorities when imposing fines for damage to nature.

“It is common for the anti-corruption practices in Russia, to detect purchase of the loyalty of the public authorities for contributions to United Russia and rendering local services to officials. In the case of the oil spill in Komi, we observe the surprising indifference of the head of the Republic, harsh statements about citizens and underestimation of damage. The Public Prosecutor General’s Office must assess the actions of the official,” Alexei Karnaukhov, director of the Yabloko Anti-Corruption Police Centre, says.

ALEXEI KARNAUKHOV

is lawyer, Director of the Yabloko Anti-Corruption Policy Centre and municipal deputy of the Moscow district of Khamovniki