Posted on 11/27/2006 8:14:54 AM PST by A. Pole
MADRID, November 25 (RIA Novosti) - Spain's National Court has issued a warrant to arrest a Russian attorney detained in a major ongoing crackdown on Georgian and Russian organized crime groups in the country, his lawyer said Friday.
Spanish police detained nine people Wednesday night, including Alexander Gofshtein, a lawyer for the bankrupt oil firm Yukos who arrived from Moscow for a meeting in the Soto del Real jail near Madrid with his client, Zakhar Kalashov, who is believed to be a Georgian mafia boss.
"No charge has yet been brought against him. Alexander is suspected of involvement in a criminal gang and money laundering," Genrikh Padva said.
Spanish police are conducting the second phase of a large-scale operation codenamed Operacion Avispa (Operation Hornet), which targets the Russian and Georgian mafias operating in the country.
Padva said he was shocked with the arrest. "This is like a bolt from the blue! Gofshtein is a lawyer with an untarnished reputation, and he has not been involved in anything of that sort. I have no doubt he has nothing to do with any illegal activities," he said.
Padva insisted that Gofshtein provided legal assistance for his client, and denied a police statement that the lawyer brought money to his jailed client, calling it absurd.
A statement issued by the police press service said Kalashov's gang was involved in money laundering. The gang earned money from criminal activities in Moscow, including illegal gambling, kidnapping and extortion, and invested the illegally gained funds in legitimate businesses in Spain, buying real estate, restaurants, and other assets.
Police said as many as 31 people were arrested in Spain during the first phase of Operation Hornet in June 2005
Bump
Removed.
Also, please stop shilling for Putin
What this article has to do with Putin?
This article makes it seem as a poor Russian has been unjustly accused.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA - I hope the spanish get the KGB thug that got Litvinenko too
I like these russians that come on here acting like the average muscovite on the street and after 3 years of these bs posts, they still have that phoney affected grammar.
You would think they would have picked up a few grammer tips like "the object comes after the subject".
"Putin what have to do with this" blahblahblah.
Can you add me on? Thanks.
Done
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.