The CEO of Russia’s largest oil company secretly recorded conversations with former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev as part of a sting operation, a Moscow court heard on Tuesday.
Transcripts of the recordings were read out by state prosecutors during a court hearing on Tuesday, the Mediazona news site reported.
“Here, take it. Put it inside and let’s go,” the transcript cited Sechin as saying, as he reportedly handed Ulyukayev a $2 million bribe.
Ulyukayev faces 15 years in prison for allegedly exacting a bribe from Sechin to approve Rosneft’s purchase of a majority stake in Bashneft, another oil company. Sechin reportedly played a leading role in the sting operation.
In a phone conversation recorded by Sechin earlier on Nov. 14, the two officials agreed to meet later that day to address Sechin’s “many accumulated questions” about the deal.
Reading from a conversation transcript, the prosecutor quoted Sechin as saying, “take the basket.”
Ulyukayev was detained at Rosneft’s office with a bag full of marked bills half an hour after the set meeting time.
