President's Office of Affairs claims one million roubles from "Novaya Gazeta" for article on corruption in Sochi construction

The Office of Affairs of the Russian President has filed a lawsuit on protection of honour, dignity and business reputation, as well on collection of one million roubles of compensation from the "Novaya Gazeta" for dissemination of false information, said Ekaterina Korotova, press secretary of the Basmanny Court of Moscow.

Let us remind you that earlier Valery Morozov, head of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Moskonversprom" told about corruption at Sochi construction, in particular, about demands of bribes for the tender on reconstruction of the block "Primorskiy" of the sanatorium "Sochi", where the governmental delegation will live during the Sochi Winter Olympics. He told about claims of bribes in his interview to the "Novaya Gazeta".

The businessman also stated that his company was excluded from participation in tenders, while the Office of Affairs of the Russian President allocated 800 million US dollars for the works performed by his company in Sochi to another company, close to the officials of the Office. The General Prosecutor's Office began a check of this information.

According to the above press secretary of the Basmanny Court of Moscow, the claimants ask to refute the information published in No. 74 of the "Novaya Gazeta" on July 12, 2010, on corruption in construction of the objects operated by the President's Office of Affairs, the RAPSI reports.

"The claimants ask that the defendant refutes this information, as well as pays out one million roubles of moral harm compensation," said Ms Korotova.

"We are ready to respond for our publication in accordance with the law. However, we'd like to note that the article 'Second Time in a Row', which is the ground for the lawsuit of the Office of Affairs, was that very text, which was personally inscribed by President Medvedev to 'Clear out'," Nadezhda Prusenkova from the "Novaya Gazeta" told the "Gazeta.ru".

Everything that happens, according to Ms Prusenkova, is an indicator of how President's instructions are performed in the country: "Instead of clearing out at the Office of Affairs, we get a lawsuit from them."