Russia in no hurry to initiate criminal proceedings against Baumgertner

An issue on initiating criminal proceedings against Uralkali CEO hasn't been solved yet.

According to earlier reports, Minsk planned to send the Russian relative agencies 19 volumes of the case against Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner.

The Russian law-enforcement bodies will decide whether criminal proceedings against Uralkali head Vladislav Baumgertner should be initiated only after they study the materials from their Belarusian colleagues, Russia's ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

“There are materials that, as the Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office thinks, reveal violations of the Russian legislation. Russia will decide whether they can be classified as an offence and whether criminal proceedings against Baumgertner should be initiated,” Surikov said.

In late August, the Belarusian Investigation Committee launched a probe against some officials of the Belarusian Potash Company, including Baumgertner. Baumgertner was detained in Minks after a meeting with the country's prime minister Mikhail Miasnikovich and thrown into KGB jail. He was released from jail in late September and placed under house arrest.

Uralkali co-owner Suleiman Kerimov was also charged and put on the international wanted list.

Photo: RIA Novosti