Adamov faces 60 years in prison

Former Russian nuclear-energy minister Yevgeny Adamov, 65, faces 60 years in prison and a $1.750-million fine. This was disclosed at a press conference in Pittsburgh by US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan of the West Pennsylvania District.

The US Attorney-General's Office has three months to secure Yevgeny Adamov's extradition, Buchanan added.

In her words, the former Russian nuclear-energy minister is charged with violating 20 articles of the US Criminal Code, including tax evasion and money-laundering operations.

The request for Adamov's extradition is not a political act, Buchanan stressed.

The US government has nothing to do with this.

Pavel Borodin, Executive Secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union State talked about a "political order" in Moscow the other day. The Swiss prosecutor-general's office had accused Borodin several years ago of accepting $30-million bribes from that country's Mabetex and Mercata companies. Borodin had headed the president's business management administration back then.

US citizen of Soviet descent and Adamov's business partner Mark Kaushansky, who is also involved in this case, faces 180 years in prison and a $5-million fine, Buchanan added.

US authorities have charged Adamov and Kaushansky of embezzling $9 million. The indictment, which was submitted to RIA Novosti by the press service of the Pennsylvania attorney's office, mentions US government appropriations for ensuring the safety of Russia's "Chernobyl-type" RMBK nuclear reactors that had been developed at the Russian nuclear-energy ministry's power-equipment R&D institute.

Adamov had headed that institute until March 1998, subsequently becoming nuclear-energy minister.

The indictment also says that Adamov and Kaushansky are charged with criminal collusion as regards the transfer of stolen money and securities.

Adamov was arrested in Berne May 2 at the request of the US Justice Department. The warrant for Adamov's arrest was issued by a circuit court of the West Pennsylvania District. Adamov, who had served as Russia's nuclear-energy minister in 1998-2001, is now staying at a Berne prison.