The Prosecutor General's Office is requesting the transfer of shares in Yuzhuralzoloto, one of Russia's largest gold miners, to the state. Searches were conducted at the company yesterday.

Currently, shares of the Yuzhuralzoloto Group of Companies belong to a member of the Legislative Assembly Chelyabinsk region, United Russia member and entrepreneur Konstantin Strukov. It is known that the capitalization of Yuzhuralzoloto exceeds 180 billion rubles.

The Prosecutor General's Office suspects that Strukov illegally acquired these shares, as well as control over ten other companies. The watchdog is also requesting that 100% of the shares in the authorized capital of UGK Management Company LLC be transferred to the state.

On the eve, FSB and Investigative Committee officers conducted searches and seizure of documents in the offices of the Yuzhuralzoloto company and its affiliated organizations in Plast and Chelyabinsk. 

The searches are related to previously initiated criminal cases regarding violations of environmental legislation, industrial safety and the operation of industrial facilities on land plots in Plastovsky и Etkul areas.

"In recent years, there have been six incidents resulting in the deaths of PJSC employees, which may indirectly confirm the fact of negligence on the part of Yuzhuralzoloto officials regarding industrial safety requirements," — noted a Kommersant source.

Following reports of investigative measures, Yuzhuralzoloto shares fell by 10,9% on the Moscow Exchange.