Breaking: Top Gergiev aide charged with $8 million fraud

One of the businessmen closest to Valery Gergiev has been arrested in Russia and charged with embezzlement and fraud. Some 300 million rubles are said to be missing from the Gergiev Foundation, which funds many of the foreign activities of the Mariinsky Theatre, as well as the White Nights Festival and the newly announced Moscow Easter Festival.

Igor Zotov, head of the Foundation, went  missing last month, apparently to the Ukraine. Warrants were issued after a complaint by Gergiev’s office. He has been arrested in Russia by the FSB and charged under Section 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code, dealing with large-scale fraud.

The investigations continue.

Here‘s a first report (in Russian).