Russia needs to examine the amount of taxes paid by power monopoly Unified Energy System as part of an investigation into last month's major blackout in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin on Saturday. UES, whose liberal CEO Anatoly Chubais has uneasy relations with Kremlin hardliners, is facing a criminal case over possible negligence after the May 25 power outage paralysed the capital.
"I only ask you not to talk today about a lack of financing or a lack of money," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Putin as telling top security officials at a meeting where Chubais was also present.
"It is necessary once more to check up on the real tax burden on UES in recent time," Putin added.
Investors are nervous about tax checks in Russia after oil major YUKOS was crushed by $27.5 billion in back-tax claims, in what is widely seen as punishment for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Earlier this week Khodorkovsky was sentenced to nine years in prison, having been convicted of tax evasion.
UES is currently fighting a court battle with tax officials over a $130 million back-tax claim.
Chubais has already faced sharp criticism from the president over the blackout, which halted public transport and stopped trading at Moscow's bourses, but has resisted calls from other quarters for him to resign.
He said at the end of last month that his enemies were using the incident to wage a political campaign against him.
Itar-Tass said Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and senior members of the Kremlin administration were also present at the Saturday meeting.
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