.ITAR-TASS overnight news cycle for January 15 - 2.

.Detention of Nemtsov, Yashin in Moscow was legal-Interior Ministry.

MOSCOW, January 15 (Itar-Tass) -- The detention in Moscow's
Triumfalnaya square of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and activist of
the Solidarity movement Ilya Yashin on December 31 was in accordance with
the law, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
"In connection with claims by several media about the allegedly
wrongful detention of Nemtsov and Yashin, the Interior Ministry's
Department of Public Order studied all evidence related to actions by
Moscow police, who were enforcing public order and security in
Triumfalnaya Square in Moscow on December 31, 2010," says an official
statement by the press center of the Interior Ministry, obtained by
Itar-Tass.
The statement runs that "the detention of Nemtsov and Yashin was made
in accordance with the applicable law on administrative offences."
"The very fact of the offense is confirmed by testimonies and the
available video materials, as well as an effective court decision on the
arrest of these people," the statement said.
The Interior Ministry promised that its agencies "will continue to
take all legal measures against those who violate public order."

.Bailiffs warn swindler of criminal liability at filming of TV show.

MOSCOW, January 15 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow's court bailiffs brought a
written notification with a warning of criminal liability to Sergei
Mavrodi (the architect of a notorious financial pyramid MMM of the early
1990s) at the filming of Andrei Malakhov's talk show Let Them Talk on
Channel One, Itar-Tass learned from the press service of the Moscow office
of the Federal Bailiff Service.
"On Friday, during the filming of the talk show Let Them Talk court
bailiffs responsible for ensuring the operation of courts entered the TV
studio to read out to Mr. Mavrodi a resolution he should be brought to the
office of a court bailiff by force," the press-service said.
The bailiff service explained that "the bailiffs had to resort to such
action due to the fact that throughout the four years (of enforcement
proceedings) Mavrodi has defied all demands by the bailiffs: he ignored
subpoenas, refused to receive procedural documents, and kept hiding from
police."
"The sole occasion when the bailiffs managed to contact Mavrodi was in
May 2008 in BukKafe, where he was giving a news conference," the bailiff
office press-service said.
The Khamovnichesky department of the bailiff service has more than
2,000 court orders to execute against Mavrodi. He has not paid a ruble to
this day.
"At the filming of the talk show on Friday Mavrodi told the audience
about his plans for a new financial pyramid MMM-2011. He did so at a time
when his total debt to the defrauded investors exceeds 4 billion rubles,"
the bailiff service said.
"Mavrodi left the TV studio accompanied by bailiffs, who took him to a
room to present to him a written demand he should appear before a court
bailiffs and a warning of criminal liability under article 177 of the
Criminal Code (malicious evasion from paying liabilities), the bailiff
service said.
In addition, Mavrodi had to offer a written explanation of the reasons
for his failure to pay cash debts.

.Moscow increases contribution to UN Office on Drugs and Crime - FM.

MOSCOW, January 15 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow has increased its annual
voluntary contribution to fund of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime from
500,000 US dollars to 2 million, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"According to the instruction signed on December 25, 2010 by Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Moscow has increased, starting from 2011,
the size of the annual voluntary contribution to the UN Office on Drugs
and Crime from the current 500 thousand dollars to 2 million U.S. dollars,
and also contributed to the Fund a one-time donation of 7 million U.S.
dollars," the ministry said.
"This step confirms Russia's leading role in the fight against new
challenges to the international community, including the drug threat
emanating from Afghanistan," the Foreign Ministry said. "Our country not
only conducts systematic specific activities, including those aimed at
curbing the smuggling of opiates from Afghanistan, but it also financially
supports the basic structural unit of the UN Secretariat acting in this
direction. "
"The UNODC, which is only 8 percent financed from the regular UN
budget, is facing serious financial difficulties in carrying out its
activities," the Foreign Ministry added.
"The above-mentioned Russian contributions are consistent with the
policy of Russia in support of the central, coordinating role of the UN in
combating new threats and challenges," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"These funds are designed to help address the challenges facing the UNODC
and, ultimately, help reduce drug and other threats to the international
community and Russia itself. "

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