RUSSIAN SENATOR PROTESTS INNOCENCE AFTER BRIBE VIDEO

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow
5 Jun 06

Russian Federation Council member Levon Chakhmakhchyan (also referred
to in some reports as Chakhmakhchan) has denied any wrongdoing after
appearing in a video described by Russian Channel One TV on 4 June as
a sting carried out two days earlier by the Federal Security Service
(FSB). In comments heard on Ekho Moskvy radio on 5 June, Chakhmakhchyan
said FSB officials had confronted him after he had visited Aleksandr
Pleshakov, the board chairman of the airline Transaero. The ethnic
Armenian senator said Pleshakov had asked him for help in getting
elected vice-president of the Association of Russian-Armenian Business
Cooperation.

“Knowing that the honorary president of the association is the
president of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, he [Pleshakov]
was attempting to join the association and asked me to nominate him
to its board as vice-president,” said Chakhmakhchyan.

“In Pleshakov’s office, in token of my friendly disposition, I gave
him a small souvenir, a teaspoon. In return, Pleshakov gave me two
models of aeroplanes, one small in a plastic bag, the other big in
a box. When we were leaving, Pleshakov indicated a briefcase to my
associate. In my view, my associate reckoned that the briefcase held
one of the souvenirs.

“Once the two of us were out of Pleshakov’s office, we were detained
by FSB officials. The reasons for the detention were not given to me.

My demands for release and arguments that I am a member of the
Federation Council were ignored. The agents behaved rudely and
cynically, used physical violence, treated me with contempt, including
by permitting themselves comments of nationalistic nature.

Only two-and-half hours later was I released,” Chakhmakhchyan said.

Ekho Moskvy said it had no immediate comment from Transaero.