CORRUPTION SCANDAL IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD.

A corruption trial has opened in the home province of First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov (Itar-Tass, April 4) Several officials of the Nizhny Novgorod Air Lines company are accused of pocketing two thirds of the proceeds from the sale of a Tu-134 aircraft by the company. An investigation by the Federal Security Service found that the plane was sold for 3.6 billion rubles ($630,000) but only 1.6 billion rubles was paid into the company account. Igor Aronov, a former adviser on economic issues to ex-governor Boris Nemtsov, is a director of the firm and its largest shareholder. A police search of his apartment turned up $156,000 in cash.

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