Russia’s fugitive official may be in Armenia

Vladimir Okunev, former Deputy Governor of Russia’s Rostov Region and former Minister of Transport, who is wanted for abuse of official powers, may be in Armenia, the region’s law enforcement authorities told TASS.

On Dec. 25, investigators opened a criminal case against Okunev on charges of abuse of official powers and restricting competition. He was charged in absentia, and an international search has been announced for him.

According to investigators, as director of the Rostov Region’s state unitary enterprise Rostovatodor, he effectively controlled a competing company and facilitated the signing of an anti-competitive agreement among organizations jointly participating in procurement, maintaining prices during tenders and concluding contracts at the highest possible cost. The damage caused by Okunev’s actions is estimated at 200 million rubles.