Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Authors' Society Accused of Fraud

The Russian Authors’ Society (RAO) has been accused of fraud after police raided their Moscow offices, the RBC news website reported Monday.

Investigators claim that the organization allegedly ran an embezzlement scheme and diverted funds worth an estimated 500 million rubles ($7.7 million).

Participants in the alleged scheme are still being identified along with any additional criminal charges, RBC reported.

The RAO’s offices on Ulitsa Bolshaya Bronnaya were raided on Monday afternoon, while police also searched the home of the company's general director, Sergei Fedotov.

The searches were conducted after police reopened a 2015 investigation into embezzlement charges against the organization, RBC reported. An unnamed source told the news website that the entire top management were currently under investigation.

The RAO is a non-governmental organization that provides copyright and intellectual property protection to composers and songwriters.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more