Putin Critics: Billions Stolen from Sochi Olympics Funds - East Idaho News
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Putin Critics: Billions Stolen from Sochi Olympics Funds

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Getty W 121010 PutinRussia?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1369962403566ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images(MOSCOW) — Russian opposition leaders released a report Thursday claiming that as much as $30 billion had been swindled from funds meant to prepare for next year’s Winter Olympics in the Russian resort town of Sochi.

Critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Boris Nemtsov and Leonid Martynyuk, called the situation a “monstrous scam.”

The 2014 Winter Games are already expected to be the most expensive in history — at around $50 billion — much more than the $12 billion Putin originally forecast. The report issued Thursday says the games will cost more than the past 21 Winter Olympics combined.

The authors of the report say much of that money was simply stolen, by oligarchs and companies close to Putin.

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