YELTSIN REMOVES SKURATOV AGAIN.

The weekend bombing at the Federal Security Service (FSB) offices in Moscow took place against a background of growing political tensions. On April 2, President Boris Yeltsin’s suspended Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov pending the outcome of an investigation into Skuratov’s alleged abuse of his office. Over the weekend, the Moscow city Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal investigation into Skuratov after Kremlin officials said that a video featuring Skuratov allegedly cavorting with two alleged prostitutes was authentic and that Skuratov was indeed the man on the tape. Oleg Sysuev, first deputy presidential administration chief, said that “such things” are not a private matter if they involve the prosecutor general. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, who heads both the Federal Security Service and Yeltsin’s Security Council, said that investigators had evidence that the prostitutes had been paid for by people under investigation by Skuratov’s office. Following his suspension, Skuratov’s government phone was cut off and his official bodyguard withdrawn. Skuratov called the case against him “rigged” and Yeltsin’s decision “totally illegal” (Russian agencies, April 2).

Some media have reported that the prostitutes in the video allegedly starring Skuratov were paid by Ashot Yegiazaryan, former head of the now defunct Moscow National Bank and owner of Oneksimbank, both of which have been mentioned in the Russia press over the last few years in connection with various corruption scandals (Kommersant daily, April 3). Russian media have also reported that Yegiazaryan is currently working as an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Maslyukov.

SKURATOV SAID TO HAVE LIST OF CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.