The scuffle between Britain and Russia over Boris Berezovsky took a new twist when the Brazilian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.
The Brazilian Federal Court issued an arrest warrant for exiled Russian tycoon and several leaders of a Sao Paulo football club Corinthians. They are accused of forming a criminal group and money laundering.
The investigation established that investment group Media Sports Investments (MSI), formed by Boris Berezovsky, provided illegal financial transaction and money laundering through the football club. Also under charge are Corinthians president Alberto Dualib, his vice-president Nesi Curi, Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian as well as business managers Renato Duprat and Paulo Angioni.
Since Berezovsky, Joorabchian and Noyan Bedru are outside Brazil, a warrant for their arrest has been sent to Interpol. Accounts of MSI are frozen.
The MSI group became a general sponsor of Corinthians in 2004. After that the club purchased several noted players and won the national championship. Since that Prosecutors began investigating MSI financing schemes.
Last year the Brazil police already have got on to Berezovsky. In May 2006 he was detained in Sao Paulo airport and interrogated in view of his possible implication in Media Sports Investment. The police suspected that he was managing this group through his fiduciary Kia Joorabchian. After the interrogation that lasted eight hours he was let go. Then the police impounded fro his two notebooks, mobile telephones and documents that were subjoined the investigation of the MSI/Corintians case.
At the same time in Moscow a trial in absentia of exiled billionaire on charges of fraud and laundering Aeroflot’s money continues. The court was adjourned the second time on request of the public defender, Alexander Dudkin, who is to examine 123 volumes of the case. Berezovsky refused himself and interdicted his lawyers to participate the process. He announced that the examination was an attempt to beguile everybody from Alexander Litvinenko’s murder, of which he accuses the Kremlin.
The fraud case is not the only one against Berezovsky in Russia. Recently FSB brought against him a charge on Article 278 of Russia's Criminal Code (attempt of violent seizure of power). The charges are based on the interview given by Berezovsky to the Guardian on April 13. In the interview he acknowledged that he financed some people from the RF president’s surroundings that would prepare a coup d'etat.
For a long time Moscow is seeking for extradition of the tycoon who has got asylum in the Great Britain. That caused tension in relations between Moscow and London that was extremely aggravated after Moscow’s refusal to hand over the former special intelligence service officer Andrei Lugivoi accused by London of poisoning of Litvinenko. Officially the Prosecutor General explained the refusal by the Russian Constitution implication but the experts note that is a response on London’s position concerning Berezovsky.
Meanwhile Berezovsky keeps on politicizing and making loud announcements. On Tuesday’s night during the television space bridge with Ukraine he stated that he would not interfere in politic situation in Ukraine before the parliamentary elections and would not finance any party, even the one of Julia Timoshenko.
Lately Berezovsky uses every his mass-media appearance for making provocative statements concerning Russia. Now he is preparing a coup d'etat, now is financing The Other Russia opposition rally. As usually there was a sensation, this time Berezovsky place emphasis on Vladimir Putin and the inheritor. He described in detail what would be in Russia in 2008. According to him, the future Putin’s successor is the present prime minister Mikhail Fradkov who would change the Constitution, so that the presidential term would be extended from four to seven years. After that Putin will return to power for 14 years.
