Russia orders arrest of US investor

(Vatican Radio) Russia has called for the detention of U.S.-born investor Bill Browder, whose fund invested billions in Russian companies, adding to tensions between Moscow and Washington.

A Moscow court authorized the arrest in absentia of Browder, the head of Britain-based Hermitage Capital fund, for allegedly “refusing to cooperate” with an investigation into tax evasion.

Russia's Interior Ministry also put him on an international wanted list.

The fund manager is accused of “stealing” shares in Gazprom over a decade ago and “interfering” with that Russian energy giant’s strategic policies.

Browder, who holds British citizenship, has denied wrongdoing and claims the charges are prompted by his company's investigation into massive tax fraud.

CYPRUS ACCOUNTS

The arrest warrant came shortly after Browder told reporters that he provided Germany with evidence about tens of millions of dollars laundered by Russians through Cyprus bank accounts.

Those funds were allegedly part of a $230 million fraud his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky discovered before his death in a Moscow prison in 2009.

"Our offices were raided in 2007 by some corrupt police officers," he recalled.

"And then...our investment holding companies were stolen. And then 230 million dollars of taxes that we paid was then fraudulently refunded by a group of corrupt officials," Browder explained.

"We hired a lawyer named Sergei Magnitsky to investigate. He ended up testifying against some of the corrupt officials. He was then arrested, tortured for 358 days, and killed in detention at the age of 37," he said.

TRACING MONEY

However, "We have traced the money that was stolen, and we found 31 million of it in Cyprus," the investor added.

Russia says the lawyer died of natural causes and blames criminals for the loss of the funds. Though he is dead, Russian officials continue a trial against Magnitsky on tax-evasion charges.

The developments add to tensions between the United States and Russia.

Recently the U.S. introduced the 'Magnitsky Act', named after the late lawyer, imposing sanctions on 18 Russians for alleged human rights violations.

Russia responded by banning 18 Americans from entering the country and halting U.S. adoptions of Russian children, many of whom live in run-down orphanages.

Listen to Stefan Bos’ report: