Ousting of Russian law chief 'saved Chelsea boss billions'

Times
From Dominic Kennedy in Moscow



RUSSIA’S prosecutor-general was preparing a case to seize back Roman Abramovich’s oil company over an allegedly rigged privatisation while investigating a string of other Kremlin scandals when he was ousted from office.

Mr Abramovich, the oligarch and owner of Chelsea Football Club, risked losing the prime source of his £7.5 billion fortune as investigators looked into his financial and political links at a pivotal stage of his high-flying career. The prosecutor was acting on a report from Russia’s highest auditing body which said that the privatisation, among others, should be declared invalid because of multiple legal violations.

Mr Abramovich was also being investigated over allegations of unpaid company tax and the possible misuse of a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to Russia.

In a curious twist, The Times has established that some documents purporting to link the oligarch with the loan scandal are crude forgeries. The forgers’ motives remain unclear.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1355011,00.html

WORLD SERVICE interview with ex-Pravda political editor last week mentioned that Moscow police are investigating links between Abramovich's meteoric and puzzling rise to oligarchy and ANDREW FASTOW, ex-Enron ass now facing years behind bars........