Representative welcomes handover of Deripaska case from Spain to Russia
MOSCOW. Nov 25 (Interfax) - A representative of Russian billionaire businessman Oleg Deripaska has positively assessed a decision adopted by a Spanish court, which asked the Russian authorities to take over an investigation against Deripaska and his former business partner Iskander Makhmudov.
"We positively assess the Spanish court's decision because the transfer of this case to the Russian authorities effectively means the end of the investigation in Spain. Oleg Deripaska is no longer a subject of Spain's investigation, which was based on unverified information about him from the very beginning," the representative said.
"Obviously, Spanish investigators did not and could not have any evidence proving Oleg Deripaska's allegedly unlawful activities because he has never had anything to do with the named companies or the operations ascribed to them. We are confident that this position will eventually be confirmed by the Russian agencies in charge of these issues, and this misunderstanding will be sorted out," he said.
It was reported earlier that Spain decided to hand over to Russia the case of Deripaska and Makhmudov, who are accused of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, but has not yet done so.
"The Spanish authorities decided to hand over that case to Russia for further investigations on November 15," a source with law enforcement agencies told Interfax earlier.
Earlier on Thursday, Spanish media said well-known Spanish judge Fernando Andreu had asked Russia to take over the Deripaska-Makhmudov case.
Andreu argued that the crimes the two businessmen were accused of had most likely been committed in Russia. Spanish media say Spanish investigators suspect Deripaska and Makhmudov of membership of the so-called Izmailovo crime ring.