Sweden arrests Russian suspected of bribery in Azerbaijan rail deal
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 March 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Sweden arrests Russian suspected of bribery in Azerbaijan rail deal, 10 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a620c.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 10, 2017
A Russian employee in the Swedish offices of Bombardier Inc. has been arrested on suspicion of bribery in connection with a rail contract in Azerbaijan, Swedish anticorruption authorities say.
Prosecutor Thomas Forsberg on March 10 said Yevgeny Pavlov is one of several Bombardier employees suspected of colluding with Azerbaijani rail authorities "to adapt a contract" to favor Bombardier.
Forsberg said two other employees were detained and later released but remain suspects.
Formal charges have not been made, he said.
A spokeswoman for Bombardier, a Montreal-based plane and train maker, said it is cooperating with authorities.
On a LinkedIn account, Pavlov, 37, described himself as "head of sales, marketing and country coordinator for the north region."
Prosecutors said company employees are suspected of cooperating with Azerbaijani officials to "receive rewards for having favored the Bombardier contract" – despite the fact that Bombardier offered only the fifth-best deal in terms of price.
A Bombardier-led consortium won an order from Azerbaijan Railways on the Kars-Baku corridor connecting Asia and Europe.
Bombardier's share of the contract was reported at $203 million.
Swedish authorities said Pavlov was being held in pretrial custody to prevent him from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.
Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Bloomberg
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
