Senator Arashukov's father suspected of embezzling from Gazprom

Russian senator representing Karachay-Cherkess Republic Rauf Arashukov's father, Raul Arashukov, is suspected of embezzling natural gas worth over 30 billion rubles ($455 million) from Gazprom company, Russian Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

Raul Arashukov was arrested today after his son, the statement reads. According to investigators, Raul Arashukov was committing the crimes over several years, RAPSI reported.

Earlier, Russian senator representing Karachay-Cherkess Republic Rauf Arashukov was arrested in the Federation Council on suspicion of implication in several murders. Investigators believe that the member of parliament’s upper house was involved in the murder of a Karachay-Cherkessia public youth movement’s deputy chairman Aslan Zhukov and the republican president’s advisor Fral Shebzukhov in 2010.

The upper house of Russian parliament considered an application by the Prosecutor General, stripped Arashukov of his immunity and gave consent to his prosecution.