Russia's ex-Nuclear Energy Min convicted of fraud

Moscow, Feb 19 (UNI) Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky Court today convicted Russia's former Nuclear Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov of fraud and abuse of authority, Russian news agencies reported.

Adamov, Nuclear Energy Minister from 1998 to 2001, was detained in Berne, Switzerland, in May 2005 at the request of the US, where he was accused of embezzling 9 million dollars given to Russia for nuclear safety projects.

He was extradited to Moscow at Russia's request, in 2006. If convicted in the US, Adamov would have faced up to 60 years behind bars. Charges against Adamov are still pending in the US.

''The court found Adamov guilty of fraud and abuse of authority for profit, seriously harming the interests of the Russian state,'' the judge ruled.

Prosecutor Viktor Antipov asked the court to sentence Adamov to 9 years in prison, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Adamov, 69, had been accused of leading an organised criminal group that allegedly embezzled about 110 million dollars from the Russian budget, as well as other state enterprises and organisations, and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He denied the charges.

In June 2007, Adamov's co-defendant in the US, Mark Kaushansky, was handed a 15-month prison sentence for personal and corporate tax evasion and a fine of 20,000 dollars.

However, Kaushansky, a Russian nuclear engineer who now has US residency status, was not convicted of involvement in the misappropriation of funds.

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