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Russia law-enforcers clash in airport owner’s case Russian agencies clash over airport owner’s case
(about 2 hours later)
MOSCOW — Russian law enforcement agencies clashed in court Friday in a case blaming the billionaire owner of the nation’s biggest airport with alleged safety violations that officials say led to the deaths of 37 people in a suicide bombing five years ago. MOSCOW — Russian law enforcement agencies clashed in court Friday in a case blaming the billionaire owner of the nation’s biggest airport for alleged safety violations that officials say led to the deaths of 37 people in a suicide bombing five years ago.
Dmitry Kamenshchik, the owner of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, was accused by the country’s Investigative Committee of failing to meet safety requirements, leading to the bombing deaths. The Jan. 24, 2011, attack in the airport’s international arrivals area also wounded 180 others. Chechen rebels claimed responsibility. The case involving Moscow’s Domomedovo airport owner Dmitry Kamenshchik has been seen by many in Russia as an attempt by politically-connected business circles to seize a prized asset. It also marked a rare case in which Russian prosecutors actually defended a suspect.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s nation’s top investigative agency, claimed that by waiving blanket checks of passengers at the airport’s entrance, Kamenshchik made it vulnerable, and the agency put him under arrest Thursday. Three senior managers of Domodedovo earlier had been placed in custody in the same case. Kamenshchik, 47, whose fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine at $2.9 billion, had turned a rundown, decrepit airport into a modern, highly successful venture.
Kamenshchik has denied the accusations, which have been leveled against him for years, saying that blanket inspections weren’t required by law at the time. But he was accused by Russia’s Investigative Committee of failing to meet safety requirements, which it said led to the bombing deaths on Jan. 24, 2011. The attack in the airport’s international arrivals area also wounded 180 others and was claimed by Chechen rebels.
The Investigative Committee has backed off a bit Friday, asking a Moscow court to place Kamenshchik under house arrest, but has still pressed the charges against him. The Investigative Committee, the nation’s top investigative agency, claimed that by waiving blanket checks of passengers at the airport’s entrance, Kamenshchik made it vulnerable. Kamenshchik denied the accusations, saying that blanket inspections weren’t required by law at the time.
But in a twist, government prosecutors disputed the Investigative Committee’s case, calling the accusations unfounded and contesting the plea for house arrest. Three senior managers of Domodedovo earlier had been placed in custody in the same case.
The judge sided with the Investigative Committee, placing Kamenshchik under house arrest for two months. The Investigative Committee placed Kamenshchik under arrest Thursday, but backed off a bit Friday, asking a Moscow court to put him under house arrest. But in a twist, government prosecutors disputed the Investigative Committee’s case, calling the accusations unfounded.
The showdown marked an unusual case when Russian prosecutors actually defended a suspect. It also has generated broad public interest, widely seen as an attempt by some politically-connected business circles to seize a prized asset. The judge, however, sided with the Investigative Committee, placing Kamenshchik under house arrest for two months. Prosecutors said they would appeal.
Kamenshchik, 47, has turned what was a rundown and decrepit airport into a modern, highly successful venture. Kamenshchik’s arrest has sent shock waves across Russia’s business community, with many seeing it as yet another case of government-connected businessmen relying on law enforcement agencies to try to snap up Russia’s most attractive economic assets.
Experts said the charges against Kamenshchik would further erode investors’ confidence in Russia and contribute to continuing capital flight.
“We shouldn’t be surprised when we hear that investments in Russia are continuing to fall and the economy is going down,” wrote Sergey Aleksashenko, Russia’s former deputy finance minister who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin was informed about the case. Peskov refrained from commenting on the case, saying it’s up to court to determine if Kamenshchik is guilty.Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin was informed about the case. Peskov refrained from commenting on the case, saying it’s up to court to determine if Kamenshchik is guilty.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.