- Title: RUSSIA: TOP KREMLIN AIDE PAVEL BORODIN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR MONEY LAUNDERING
- Date: 19th January 2001
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - 1999) (REUTERS) 1. SCU PAVEL BORODIN SHOWING VISITORS AROUND THE KREMLIN PALACE (6 SHOTS) 0.38 2. SCU BORODIN AT NEWS CONFERENCE SPEAKING (RUSSIAN) 1.21 MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JANUARY 18, 2001) (REUTERS) 3. LAS SNOW FALLING ON FLAG AT RED SQUARE; HEAVY SNOW FALLING ON CLOCK TOWER ; SLV RED SQUARE (4 SHOTS) 1.42 4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY, HEAD OF LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY "He's a high ranking official, head of the Russian-Belorus committee, it's like Chairman of the government of the new Union state and he is arrested on American territory. It's a horrible fact. It's Clinton's mistake. He's about to leave the post and he makes such mistakes. And Americans considered him the most popular president." 2.06 5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) IGOR IVANOV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER "As you already know Pavel Pavlovish Borodin was arrested in New York, based on a Swiss warrant. We are now taking all steps, both in New York and Switzerland, in order to demand the immediate and unconditional release of (Pavel) Borodin." 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VICTOR KUZNETSOV, BORODIN'S LAWYER "The arrest of Borodin is a typical provocation on the part of the Swiss procurators" 2.35 7. MV MEDIA 2.47 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KUZNETSOV "As far as I know, Vladimir Putin will make an announcement re the detention of Borodin. (Belorussian President Alexander) Lukashenko has already made an announcement. But I repeat I don't blame the U.S government for this" 2.57 9. SCU MEDIA 3.04 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KUZNETSOV "He [Borodin] has a diplomatic passport and that was given to him by Russia's Foreign Minister and thus he has diplomatic immunity. He has been abroad before and there were never any problems." 3.28 11. SCU MEDIA; SCU KUZNETSOV SPEAKING (3 SHOTS) 4.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 3rd February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA2OA8BITK9MCHHD4DKCF9QBGCC
- Story Text: Police in New York have detained former top
Kremlin aide Pavel Borodin under a warrant issued by Swiss
authorities for alleged money laundering, Russia has demanded
his unconditional release.
A Swiss prosecutor said he had been officially informed
of Borodin's arrest and would be seeking his extradition.
Borodin, former Kremlin aide of Russian President Boris
Yeltsin, arrived in the United States to attend the
inauguration of President-elect George W. Bush.
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov protested
against Borodin's arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Borodin's lawyer Boris Kuznetsov also said he thought it
was a provocation on the part of the Swiss prosecutors.
"He [Borodin] has a diplomatic passport and that was given
to him by Russia's Foreign minister and thus he has diplomatic
immunity. He has been abroad before and there were never any
problems," Kuznetsov said.
A Swiss investigating magistrate last year indicted five
people and issued the warrant against Borodin in a probe into
alleged bribe-taking by government officials from Swiss-based
construction companies Mabetex and Mercata.
Borodin, the former head of the Kremlin's huge property
empire, was at the centre of a series of allegations of
bribe-taking involving Swiss firms which dogged the final
years in office of former President Boris Yeltsin.
The Swiss probe into the firms centred on the alleged
payment of millions of dollars in kickbacks to Kremlin
officials to secure lucrative contracts to refurbish Russian
public buildings.
Borodin has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and Russian
prosecutors dropped their investigations last year.
Borodin, moved from his Kremlin post after Vladimir Putin
came to office last year, is currently head of a special body
overseeing efforts to form a Russian-Belarussian union.
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