MOSCOW - Russian Audit Chamber will start investigation of activities of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. This was announced today by its Chairman Sergey Stepashin.

Earlier Stepashin attended a meeting of trustee council of charity fund attached to Russian Trade and Industry Chamber, The fund aimed to collect payments from big business in favour of neglected children. According to Stepashi, the fund collected only one million dollars in 2003 and this was called a biggest shame by Audit Chamber Chairman.

The collected funds were transferred to orphanages and boarding houses, some of which receive no more than 9 rubles ($0.3) a day for a kid from the state. In this connection the Audit Chamber will investigate fulfillment of obligations by big business, including Chukotka governor Abramovich.

“This is a question of ethics”, Stepashin stated, expressing his bewilderment on how it is possible in such circumstances to spend $300 million for a football club. “We’ve long had questions to Abramovich in moral aspect, and we will see how he worked at the governor position”.