12 Jan 2018 20:48

Russia's CEC decision to register Grudinin as presidential candidate absolutely legal - CEC member

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - The Russian Central Elections Commission (CEC) has made an absolutely lawful decision, having registered Pavel Grudinin nominated by the Russian Communist Party (CPRF) as a Russian presidential candidate, CEC member Yevgeny Shevchenko told Interfax on Friday.

"At the time of Grudinin's registration documents on the absence of his foreign accounts have been filed with us that we have verified by forwarding requests with the relevant institutions. This is why the CEC has made an absolutely legal decision, having registered him as a candidate at the presidential election," Shevchenko said.

By the time of nomination as a presidential candidate Grudinin has produced the data about the incomes involving his five foreign accounts and securities, he said. "However, this document has been specified on December 28 that is authorized by the law and Grudinin has presented information about the closure of these accounts," Shevchenko said.

The CEC has no claims to Grudinin now, but "if something is surfacing, the CEC will be closely looking into this," he also said.

In 2016, when Grudinin ran in the election to the Moscow Regional Duma, he has concealed information that he has five accounts in foreign banks, Valery Ventsal, the head of the council of deputies of the Leninsky municipal district, Moscow region, said. "Then we doubted his honesty and thought that beginning his election campaign with deceit is a bad sign," he said.