Financier Alexei Frenkel arrested in murder probe of Russian central banker

Financier Alexei Frenkel arrested in murder probe of Russian central banker

	Published : Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:17 By : Agencies Print this Story

MOSCOW (AFX) - Russian financier Alexei Frenkel was formally arrested today on suspicion of having ordered the murder of Central Bank deputy head Andrei Kozlov, whose killing in September sent shockwaves through the Russian business world.

'Everything considered in the court gives reason to believe that, if freed, Frenkel could hide from the investigation and pressure witnesses,' ITAR-TASS quoted judge Alexander Rasnovsky as saying during the hearing in Moscow's Basmanny court that sanctioned Frenkel's arrest.

Investigators suspect Frenkel, 35, of ordering Kozlov's murder after the crusading anti-fraud official had the license of Frenkel's VIP-Bank withdrawn in July for money laundering, daily Kommersant cited investigators as saying.

Frenkel is expected to be formally charged on Wednesday, and plans to appeal against his arrest, news agency ITAR-TASS quoted his lawyer, Igor Trunov, as saying.

NTV television showed a handcuffed Frenkel shouting that the prosecutor's claims were 'a lie and slander' as he was hustled away by police after the hearing.

Investigators suspect that Frenkel paid 10,000 usd for the murder and hired the killers with the help of associate Liana Askerova, who was also detained last week by investigators, Kommersant reported.

During today's hearing, prosecutors presented an investigation transcript in which Askerova accused Frenkel of ordering the murder, which Frenkel's lawyer called 'the only evidence the prosecutor-general has,' Interfax reported.

Kozlov was shot along with his driver on Sept 13 outside the Spartak football stadium in central Moscow.

A total of eight people have been detained in the case.

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