What a statement!

Allegations of poaching by the hunting expedition aboard the Mi-171 helicopter have received wide coverage even in government-friendly media outlets. Conservationists say photographs from the crash site prove that the officials were hunting endangered argali sheep. The wild sheep is one of Russia's rarest animals, and hunting it is punishable by up to two years in prison. The photographs prompted ecologists to press prosecutors to investigate whether the officials were hunting illegally when their helicopter went down. Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said Tuesday that "environmental laws should be obeyed" by everyone, "irrespective" of their positions, RIA-Novosti reported.

Read full story in The Moscow Times. Three days later Irkutsk Governor crashed - after disobeying the law...