Two Russian politicians who survived a helicopter crash in the country’s remote Altai Republic are to face charges of illegal hunting, investigators said on Monday.
A Mi-17 Hip helicopter carrying government officials crashed near the Altai’s Chernaya mountain in January 2009, killing seven people, including the Russian president's envoy to the State Duma, Alexander Kosopkin.
Four people survived the crash, including the republic's deputy prime minister, Nikolai Kapranov, and a State Duma official and businessman, Boris Belinsky.
The accident attracted attention after it was alleged that the officials had been hunting endangered mountain sheep.
“Investigators have collected enough evidence proving their guilt,” a statement issued by the Western Siberian investigators said.
The men face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
The investigation into the case was previously closed two times, but was resumed on orders from Alexander Bystrykin, the chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Prosecutor’s Office.
MOSCOW, November 22 (RIA Novosti)
