Moscow to Agree to Extradition of Suspected German Gorbuntsov Hitman in Exchange for Information on Boris Nemstov Murder

31st Jul 2015

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On 26 July 2015, it was reported that Moscow would agree to allow the extradition to the United Kingdom, from Russia, of the suspected hitman involved in the attempted murder of the Russian banker, German Gorbuntsov, in exchange for Mr Gorbuntsov’s co-operation in the investigation into the murder of Boris Nemtsov. The article is here.

Mr Gorbuntsov, a former businessman in Russia and Moldova, was shot six times outside his apartment in Canary Wharf in 2012. Authorities in Russia believe that he can assist in the preparation of a case against those allegedly involved in the murder of the Russian opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated on a bridge near to the Kremlin in February 2015.

It is reported that in a statement, Mr Gorbuntsov’s lawyer, Vadim Vedenin, stated: “I can confirm that an officer from Scotland Yard who is in charge of my client German Gorbuntsov’s case in the UK got in touch with him and asked if he is ready to talk to the Russian investigator on the subject of Boris Nemtsov’s murder in Moscow in February 2015.”

“Russia promises to agree to the extradition of Vitalie Proca [the Moldovan hitman suspected of attempting to murder German Gorbuntsov] to the UK for the further investigation of an attempt on German Gorbuntsov’s life,” stated Mr Vedenin, who added that Mr Gorbuntsov would be willing to co-operate with Moscow police.

Mr Gorbuntsov maintains that his shooting is connected with the failed assassination of Alexander Antonov, a billionaire financier, in Moscow in 2009. For a blog on Vladimir Antonov, the son of Alexander Antonov, who recently fled from the UK using a Russian passport, ahead of his expected extradition to Lithuania where he faced fraud charges, see here.

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