Uralkali ready to assist Baumgertner probe
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - Russian potash miner Uralkali has welcomed the return of its CEO Vladislav Baumgertner to Russia and has announced its readiness to assist the investigation, should such a need arise, the company said in a press release.
"The company has no information that would prompt it to change its position toward its general director. The company and the board of directors are closely following the situation and will provide updates on any further developments," it said.
It was reported earlier that Russian Federal Penitentiary Institutions Service (FSIN) spokeswoman Kristina Belousova confirmed that Baumgertner, who arrived from Belarus last night, had already been placed in a pre-trial detention center in Moscow.
A source familiar with the situation told Interfax earlier that Baumgertner's airplane had landed at Domodedovo Airport outside Moscow.
"The plane landed at the airport at 1:00 a.m., right on schedule. FSIN officers convoyed Baumgertner to one of the remand centers in the capital," the source said.
The time of Baumgertner's arrival, as well as the airport where his airplane was supposed to land were not disclosed earlier in order to avoid unwanted publicity, he said.
Baumgertner was detained in Minsk on August 26 and a criminal case was opened on charges of abuse of office.
In October, Moscow's Basmanny District Court issued an arrest warrant for Baumgertner, who faces abuse of office charges in Russia, in absentia.
A request seeking the Uralkali CEO's extradition in order to prosecute him on Russian territory was forwarded to representatives of the Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office during bilateral consultations on October 22.
The decision concerning Baumgertner's extradition was made by the Belarusian authorities on November 20.