Group MENATEP minority holder, Alexey Golubovich (on the photo), hid himself from Leonid Nevzlin in the court of Tuscany.
Photo: Sergey Mikheev
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Italy Refuses to Extradite YUKOS Mastermind
The District Court of Tuscany, Italy, turned down the request of Russia’s authorities to extradite Alexey Golubovich, YUKOS former director for strategic planning and corporate finance. The charges brought in against Golubovich in his absence are similar to those that had led to prison YUKOS former CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky – fraudulent activities when acquiring the stocks of Apatit Co. and Research and Development Institute of Fertilizers and Insectofungicide. In an effort to help Russia’s colleagues, prosecutors of Tuscany have lodged an appeal against the award.
By request of the accused, the Court of Tuscany held the extraditing trial of Golubovich (detained in Pisa May 10) in camera. Golubovich told judges his life was threatened by YUKOS holder Leonid Nevzlin, who had allegedly deprived him of promised remuneration of 2.6 percent in Group MENATEP (in addition to 4.4 percent held by him) and whom Golubovich suspected in arranging two attempts against his family.
Golubovich said he had some information related to financial fraud of YUKOS and the criminal activities of its security service, which Nevzlin wouldn’t like to be disclosed.
It was found out in the court that Russia’s prosecutors brought charges against Golubovich in his absence. They claim that, in 1994 to 1995, he masterminded the stealage of 20 percent in Apatit Co. and 44 percent in Research and Development Institute of Fertilizers and Insectofungicide through fraudulent activities. Golubovich was the chief of investment department of Bank MENATEP at that time.
The accused-in-his-absence, Golubovich didn’t admit guilt before the Court of Tuscany. Moreover, he promised to testify to Russia’s prosecutors and even go to Russia and stand before the prosecutors there provided Russia recalls the extraditing request made in time of the Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov.
The tricky point is that Ustinov’s successor, Yury Chaika, has sustained this demand of Ustinov. The award of the District Court of Tuscany isn’t final, as local prosecutors have gone to the Court of Appeal in Florence to challenge it.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 19, 2006
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