"Greenpeace finds the arrest not surprising. Another scandal
with Adamov's participation reflects the state of the Russian
nuclear complex," Vladimir Chouprov, Greenpeace Russia nuclear
campaigner, said. "The ministry is going to transform a country
into a radioactive waste dump.
This causes corruption, unhealthy social and psychological
situation, thefts, accidents at nuclear power plants and other
facilities under jurisdiction of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy
Agency". From mid-90s Adamov supported import of foreign
radioactive waste in Russia. In 2001 he contributed to passing the
legislation that permitted import of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from
foreign nuclear power plants for long time storage. In March 2001
Adamov was involved in a scandal.
The Anti-Corruption Commission of the State Duma published a
document that disclosed many facts of corruption among the top
management of Minatom - the ministry interested in the project of
foreign SNF import. The materials were submitted to the General
Prosecutor's Office. The Commission stated: "The personnel policy
of Mr. Adamov as the Russian Atomic Energy Minister and structural
changes he initiated… are aimed at commercialization of the
Ministry and abuse of its structural divisions…
Thus Mr. Adamov not only established a precedent of combining
functions of state governing bodies for atomic energy use and state
bodies of control over safety of atomic energy and exceeded his
jurisdiction provided by the legislation, but he also demonstrated
tendency to monopolistic management in his own interests". As a
result Yevgeny Adamov left his post of the Minister and in 2002,
strange as it is, he took the position of an adviser to the
Prime-Minister of the Russian Federation. Greenpeace calls upon the
governments of Western countries not to support numerous dangerous
initiatives of the management of the Russian Atomic Agency. Among
these are: organization of an international nuclear repository in
the Russian territory and sale of floating nuclear power plants
with weapons uranium to South-Eastern Asia.
Greenpeace once again calls on the government of the Russian
Federation with a demand to reconsider the energy strategy of the
country, to refuse of further development of nuclear energy and to
switch to energy saving an development of renewable energy.
Additional information
- 1. An extract from the interview with Mr. Adamov from March 21,
2001, for NTV program "Glas Naroda" about control over money
obtained as a result of import of spent nuclear fuel:
"…According to these documents, i.e. laws, Minatom proposes the
most sophisticated methods of control over the money. Are you ready
to propose them? You are. Today I am ready to officially agree with
them. Give me options. But those who say that we refused of any
methods of control can't help reading the law, according to which
this money must be accumulated in the budget. The most controlled
in our country source of funding".
An extract from the report of the Accounts Chamber of the
Russian Federation about results of examination of funding and
progress of the federal target program "Radioactive Waste and Spent
Nuclear Fuel Management, Its Utilization and Disposal in
1996-2005", from November 2001.
As reported, in 1198-2000 more than $270 million were received
from other countries and organizations as international assistance
to finance RAW management operations. Minatom does not carry out
control and does not report on off-budget assets (in roubles and
currency) obtained through organizations for RAW Program
realization.
The 1999 report contained the wrong information about funds of
the federal budget used for investments. The 2000 report indicates
only 22.8 million roubles instead of 185.8 million from the purpose
budget fund of Minatom that were used for scientific research and
development projects in the framework of the RAW Program. In both
reports there is no information about off-budget sources of funding
- money from companies, foreign investors, credits, etc., - as well
as budget funds assigned for the Program by officials from
Minatom.
- 2. Speeches of Adamov concerning the State Duma's statement on
corruption
- SHCHEKOCHIKHIN: I don't think I'm an expert in peaceful atom or
its use for military purposes, but I wonder about its use for
private purposes. In this regard I have to inform you that a month
ago the State Duma submitted our statement on corruption in the
State Duma, in Minatom and personally Adamov's corruption to
President Putin, Prime-Minister Kasiyanov, Federal Security Service
(FSB), the General Prosecutor's Office.
- ADAMOV: This is what is called "blood-stained boys in the
eyes".
- SHCHEKOCHIKHIN: I have an account here. Your account. ADAMOV: I
remember how during the election campaign to the Duma Yury Luzkov
was accused of many crimes. After the election nobody remembered
about this. I've read your statement. It's not signed, but now I
can see it has an author.
- SHCHEKOCHIKHIN: We have a commission. ADAMOV: A commission like
the one that Raikin described, but you can never find a person in
charge. But here we find at least one author. So I, taking
advantage of the open air, would like to make a proposal. It was
said in the statement that as a result of the corruption I got a
house in Pittsburgh. Not in Moscow but in Pittsburgh. I propose,
Yury Petrovich, if we find this house, even with my help, we'll
sell it and will give the money to hospital 83. But if not, he'll
eat his hat, as a liar.
- SHCHEKOCHIKHIN: I don't have a hat! PRESENTER: Oh, damn!
ADAMOV: I'll give it to you as a present.
- PRESENTER: OK, follow the instructions. Remarks of spectators.
Your turn please.
- 3. Extract of the speech of a press officer of the RF Atomic
Energy Minister Bespalko: "Regarding information in mass media
about "commercial activity" of Yevgeny Adamov, acting as the RF
Atomic Energy Minister, I would like to make the following
statement: Mr. Adamov is the RF Atomic Energy Minister from March
1998. No commercial structures were created during the period when
he took office. Mr. Adamov has filled a tax return about all his
sources of income from the very beginning of this practice in
Russia. There were no questions from taxation bodies. This
information seems to be just an attempt to influence the process of
forming the RF government". September 23, 1998. Atom-pressa, N35,
October 1998.