-Caveat Lector- Russian Tycoon Checks Into Hospital By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV .c The Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian business tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who faces a money laundering investigation, checked into a hospital with back pains immediately upon his arrival from France, his lawyer said today. Lawyer Genri Reznik called the Prosecutor General's office to say that Berezovsky's ailment prevented him from meeting with prosecutors today for questioning. Berezovsky was expected to remain hospitalized for up to one week. An investigator in charge of Berezovsky's case reacted with ``understanding,'' Reznik said. Investigator Nikolai Volkov said he had no complaints but added the prosecutor's office may again issue a warrant for Berezovsky's arrest if it feels the tycoon is trying to avoid questioning, the Interfax news agency reported. Berezovsky has close relations with President Boris Yeltsin's family and has been at the center of multiple political intrigues in recent years. He returned from France on Sunday night aboard his private jet after Russian prosecutors canceled a warrant for his arrest issued earlier this month. Prosecutors agreed to drop the warrant after Berezovsky promised to come to testify. Prosecutors suspect Berezovsky of setting up a Swiss company, Andava, that illegally transferred $250 million in hard currency earnings from Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot. Berezovsky insists he is innocent. ``I never violated a law and I've returned to Moscow completely calm,'' he told reporters Sunday. Berezovsky has not been formally charged, but has vowed to fight any allegations against him. He says the investigation is a political vendetta carried out by rivals that include Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. Berezovsky's case comes amid a fierce battle between Yeltsin and Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov. The president wants the prosecutor dismissed, but only parliament can fire him, and they have kept Skuratov on the job. Skuratov has been investigating possible bribe-taking by Kremlin officials, and allegations of wrongdoing by Berezovsky and another leading business mogul, Alexander Smolensky. Numerous media reports have said that Berezovsky has a stake in Aeroflot, the largest Russian airline, but Berezovsky says he has no such links to the company. Yeltsin's son-in-law, Valery Okulov, leads the airline, and has fired scores of top managers recently that were considered to be Berezovsky loyalists. Some observers say that the warrant for Berezovsky's arrest was an attempt to keep the mogul from returning to Russia and testifying against senior government officials who allegedly had stakes in his business operations. Berezovsky says little about his business empire, but media reports say it includes cars, oil and media holdings along with Aeroflot. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
