MOSCOW, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russian prosecutors said Tuesday that they had asked Belarus to send them the chief executive of a Russian fertilizer giant who was detained in Minsk soon after ending a cartel agreement.
Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner has been charged with abuse of office, and a Moscow court has issued a warrant for his arrest, Russian authorities said.
The CEO was detained in August after his potash fertilizer producer unexpectedly withdrew from a cooperation agreement with its Belarusian counterpart, causing a steep drop in prices and sparking a political row.
Some observers have suggested that the Russian investigation could be a way of getting Baumgertner back home before dropping the charges against him.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko earlier said the CEO could be extradited to Russia, provided that he face criminal charges and that financial damages be covered.
Uralkali has claimed that Belarus’ allegations against Baumgertner are politically motivated.
