The Office for Presidential Affairs has filed a 1 million ruble ($31,000) defamation lawsuit against the Novaya Gazeta newspaper over a July article accusing it of involvement in a Sochi construction heist, the RAPSI news agency reported Wednesday.
The article was a follow-up on the newspaper’s investigation of accusations put forth against the Office for Presidential Affairs by businessman Valery Morozov, who said it extorted bribes from him. No arrests stemmed from his allegations, but two former agency officials were arrested Monday on unrelated charges.
The date for the hearing was not announced Wednesday, and Novaya Gazeta representatives did not comment on the suit.
(MT)
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