Belarus receives request for Baumgertner's extradition
15- 6.11.2013, 10:46
- 19,539
The Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office has received Russia's request for the extradition of Vladislav Baumgertner, director general of Russian potash company Uralkali.
When reached by BelaPAN, Pyotr Kisyalyow, spokesman for the Prosecutor General's Office, said that the request was under consideration.
Vladislav Baumgertner was arrested on August 26 as he was about to fly out of Minsk after a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich.
The Investigative Committee of Belarus said after the arrest that Mr. Baumgertner, who chaired the supervisory board of Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), was suspected of abuse of office and so were four other Russian executives who combined their duties in BPC and Russia's potash company Uralkali. They include Oleg Petrov, a member of BPC's supervisory board; Konstantin Solodovnikov, first deputy director general; Igor Yevstratov, deputy director general; Dmitry Samoilov, head of the freight department, and "other people."
A few days later, Belarusian authorities instituted criminal proceedings against Russian billionaire and Uralkali's top shareholder Suleiman Kerimov.
The case is linked to Uralkali's July 30 decision to de facto quit BPC, its joint trading arm with Belarusian potash giant Belaruskali. Belarusian investigators said in August that "criminal" actions by Mr. Baumgertner and other Uralkali managers had caused Belarus up to $100 million in damage. The Investigative Committee warned later that the amount of the damage could be revised upward.
Mr. Lukashenka said last month that the charge against Mr. Baumgertner had been changed from abuse of office to embezzlement.
Mr. Lukashenka warned on October 21 that Mr. Baumgertner would be extradited to Russia only if Belarus received "compensation" for Uralkali's actions.
"Until we get more damage, let them compensate for this amount," he told CIS media leaders in Minsk. "If they compensate us for the damage, we will make some moves to hand over Baumgertner [to Russia]."
