MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) – Interpol said Wednesday that it had not issued a red notice for billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, the largest shareholder in Russian fertilizer giant Uralkali, which is embroiled in a legal dispute with Belarus.
But Interpol confirmed in a press release that its general secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, had received a message from Belarusian authorities on September 2 requesting a red notice to be issued for Kerimov.
On August 26, the secretariat also received a request from Belarus for red notices to be issued against four other individuals linked to the same case, Interpol said, adding that those requests were currently under review.
“Until Interpol’s thorough review is complete, it would be inappropriate for Interpol’s general secretariat to comment further on these cases or for the media to further speculate on this matter based on comments made by any entity other than Interpol or its commission for the control of Interpol’s files,” the statement said.
Last month, Belarus arrested Uralkali’s CEO, Vladislav Baumgertner, who is still in custody, and charged him with abuse of power. The country is also seeking the extradition of Kerimov on similar charges. Kerimov is Russia’s 20th-richest person, with a fortune of $7.1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
In July, Uralkali formally dissolved an international cartel with its former Belarusian partner company, Belaruskali, claiming that the Belarusian side was selling potash outside the bounds of their partnership agreement. The break sent shares in fertilizer producers tumbling around the world, and has sent the price of potash on a steady downward slide.
Shortly after Baumgertner’s arrest, Russia announced a drastic cut of September’s oil supplies to Belarus, and Russia’s health spokesman criticized the cleanliness of Belarusian dairy products.
