Berezovsky probe terminated

The Russian prosecutorÆs office on Nov. 6 terminated a high-profile corruption probe against oil-to-media magnate Boris Berezovsky after months of investigation and just weeks after accusing him of diverting $600 million from the national airline, Aeroflot, to a pair of Swiss companies.

Nikolai Volkov, chief investigator on the case, who signed the resolution dropping the charges against Berezovsky, a close ally of President Boris Yeltsin, told the Interfax news agency that the businessman ôremains a witness,ö and that two former Aeroflot executives remain under investigation.

The probe will continue against two airline executives, Nikolai Glushkov and Alexander Krasnenker, Interfax said. It offered no details as to why Volkov removed Berezovsky from the list of suspects.

It was not clear why the case was abruptly closed down, but Volkov said the materials collected so far do not support preliminary charges brought in April.

ôWe received part of the investigation materials from Switzerland, the analysis of which showed that the initial accusation that was brought against Berezovsky ... was not completely substantiated,ö he said in a television interview.

ôI am satisfied that the investigator, Volkov, showed objectivity,ö Berezovsky said.

Berezovsky has denied any wrongdoing in the case, one of many high-level corruption probes in Russia.

Yeltsin has reshuffled the leadership in the prosecutorÆs office several times since former Prosecutor-General Yury Skuratov opened cases involving Kremlin aides and members of YeltsinÆs family.

On Oct. 16, Russian investigators accused Berezovsky, Glushkov and Krasnenker of being involved in the disappearance of $400 million of profits from Aeroflot. They also alleged the three took $200 million in air traffic fees.

The money was hidden in two Swiss companies, Andava and Forus Services, and was then laundered through various financial operations, including purchases of property and shares, the investigators said.

The two firms were raided by Swiss authorities in July and their bank accounts frozen. The firms denied wrongdoing.

Berezovsky, 54, the most outspoken of RussiaÆs oligarchs, returned to Russia last spring to face preliminary charges in the Aeroflot case.

Berezovsky is running for a seat in the lower house of parliament, the Duma, in the December elections and, if successful, would enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office.

The Independent

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