Berezovsky under Trail in Holland

[tyovan]

Russian Deputy Prosecutor General and head of the prosecutor's investigative committee Alexander Bastrykin told journalists yesterday that Dutch tax authorities have initiated a criminal case against Russian political emigrant Boris Berezovsky for money laundering. Bastrykin said that Dutch tax police had come to Moscow, but he declined to give any details about their visit.
Bastrykin recalled that the Basmanny Court in Moscow issued a sixth arrest warrant for Berezovsky earlier this month for embezzling $13 million from SBS Agro bank as credit in 1997. He said an investigative group from the prosecutor's office is planning to travel to France, where Berezovsky owns a villa that the Basmanny Court has authorized for seizure. Furthermore, a case against Berezovsky for “embezzlement of monetary funds from [automaker] AvtoVAZ, exchanging special forces troops taken prisoner on the Dagestani-Chechen border and legalizing illegally obtained monetary funds” will be handed over to the court in October.

Berezovsky's lawyer Semen Ariya declined to comment on the investigative committee's announcement yesterday “until additional information is received.” Berezovsky told Kommersant by telephone that “I have no business in Holland and I received no credit from SBA Agro bank. The question of the exchange of the 21 special forces troops from Penza in 1997 is more serious. I was following the instructions of Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin, since the interior minister at the time, Kulikov, could not free his own people. I went to Chechnya, and just as I got there, employees of the International Red Cross were murdered, that is, the situation was very tense. I got an agreement – I don't remember exactly through whom, I think it was Akhmed Zakaev – to a meeting with Raduev. I flew to some village in a military helicopter accompanied only by a representative of the Security Council, and we were met by the Chechens with a whole cavalcade of jeeps, Mercedes and Volvos. As a result of the negotiations, Raduev first released 11 troops, and then 10 more the same day. Thus, 21 people in all were saved. I received the gratitude of Yeltsin, Ivan Rybkin [then secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation] and Interior Minister Kulikov.”


http://www.kommersant.com/p799478/Boris_Berezovsky/

Great news - hopefully that scum will end up in prison somewhere!! Even if he were to be accidentally poked with the end of an umbrella or served some 'hot' tea it would be great news - he certainly deserves it!

[Flamming_Python]

Great news - hopefully that scum will end up in prison somewhere!! Even if he were to be accidentally poked with the end of an umbrella or served some 'hot' tea it would be great news - he certainly deserves it!

About a month ago, Brazil also put out an arrest warrant for Mr.Berezovsky (to do with financial dealings at a Football club), and is seeking his extradition from Britain:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6897509.stm


A Brazilian judge has ordered Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky to be arrested following money-laundering allegations linked to a Sao Paulo football club.
The judge also ordered the arrest of two of Mr Berezovsky's associates, including Kia Joorabchian whose MSI company has a major stake in the team.

Defence lawyers have denied any wrongdoing at the Corinthians club.

Mr Berezovsky, who lives in exile in the UK, said the warrant stemmed from the Kremlin's actions against him.

Brazilian federal judge Faustus Martins de Sanctis on Thursday ordered the arrest of Mr Berezovsky, Mr Joorabchian and a third associate, Nojan Bedroud.

The case centres on the financing at Corinthians, in which Mr Joorabchian's Media Sports Investment (MSI) is a major investor.

The allegation is that MSI used its investment in the club to launder tainted money from overseas.

Four people at the club, Alberto Dualib, Nesi Curi, Renato Duprat and Paulo Angioni, have also been accused of involvement.

Denials

A statement from Corinthians said the club had always acted within the law, while MSI was quoted by the Brazilian Globo news agency as saying the judge's decision was "absurd, arbitrary and lacking legal backing".

Mr Berezovsky, an outspoken critic of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued a statement on Friday denying any involvement in money-laundering.

"Given the extensive comment in the Russian media and the farce of a 'trial in absentia' in the Russian courts, I have no doubt that the Brazilian story is an extension of the Kremlin's politicised campaign against me," Mr Berezovsky's statement.

Separately, the wrangling over the future of former Corinthians player and Argentine international Carlos Tevez is continuing in England.

Mr Joorabchian, the player's representative, has said he expects him to sign for Manchester United.

But West Ham, the club who signed Tevez from Corinthians, insist he is under contract to them until 2010.

Seems he is getting more & more desperate with his allegations as well, although I don't doubt that Russia used it's influence to some degree; it has suggested in fact that Berezovsky be extradicted to Brazil, so that no-one can accuse anyone of having a show-trial.

[Meatwad]

I still do not understand why the UK would want this guy in their country under political asylum.

[dimasorokine]

Here's what I think should be done:

Russia should give political asylum to the London bombers, send a hit squad to the UK to kill off all the theives, criminals and terrorists they are protecting and tie their heads to big ben.

Sounds pretty fair to me,
-Dima

[Flamming_Python]

Here's what I think should be done:

Russia should give political asylum to the London bombers, send a hit squad to the UK to kill off all the theives, criminals and terrorists they are protecting and tie their heads to big ben.

Sounds pretty fair to me,
-Dima

Yeah nice one on keeping this thread sensible, dima :|

[dimasorokine]

Yeah nice one on keeping this thread sensible, dima :|

Don't you agree with me?

-Dima

[Flamming_Python]

Don't you agree with me?

-Dima

Like I said, keep it sensible. Why would Russia want the London Bombers? So they can bomb Russia as well? The only reason the Chechen Rebels haven't started any trouble in Britain is because there are only a few high-ups there; i.e. the brains who know how to behave in civilised society, rather than the brainwashed Islamists you find among the London Bombers.

There is probably no need for a hit squad to go after Berezovsky, Zakaev and co.

Their situation is becoming more desperate, as evidenced by the latest news. Probably Britain will tell them just to shut up or face deportation, lest the country be accused of sponsoring a revolution in Russia. It should be remembered that London has always been a place for various people wanted by various States; doesn't mean that Britain as such agrees with their ideas or provides them support. Lenin himself was in London for quite a while. I have no symphathy whatsoever for Berezovsky, but I view him as posing a much lesser threat in the future; everyone is getting sick & tired of him.

[Berkut]

Flamming_Python:

do you propose to just leave him alone and let him get away with everything he did?

he's no political refugee, he's a criminal pure and simple...

[Flamming_Python]

Flamming_Python:

do you propose to just leave him alone and let him get away with everything he did?

he's no political refugee, he's a criminal pure and simple...

I don't like it and I would love to see justice served to that menace. But I think the own world that he has created around himself is rapidly closing in on him. He faces massive unpopularity in Russia, little admiration in Britain (and decreasing patience from the British government), and is now facing international scrutiny and investigations. His favoured man Kasparov and the Other Russia coalition has collapsed. Berezovsky has one last shot; the upcoming Presidential election, and he is going to mobilise all his resources to destabilise the situation and encourage Western pressure against Russia. Although he shouldn't be underestimated, the fact remains that this isn't the same Berezovsky of 1999. He has grown weaker, while Putin has grown stronger. The Russian government is most probably mature enough to absorb any chaos he causes, and is now turning the tables on him by co-operating with 3rd countries to extradite him and put him on trial. I believe this situation will sort itself out.

However, it should be remembered that most of the ultra-rich businessman in Russia, are criminals or were criminals (admitedly Berezovsky more than most). The government can't go after all of them; lest they all become Berezovsky's, move to London and take their money with them, and all go against Putin. Russia also needs them to drive economic growth, so the Russian government did the pragmatic thing; pressure them to play by the rules and keep out of politics, and they can keep their wealth. Those at the top who didn't appreciate the new orders coming out the Kremlin got locked in the slammer or slipped abroad. Pragmatism proved to be the best policy, although in the ideal world all of them would be starving in the Gulag by now.