MINSK. April 2 (Interfax) - Belarus has recalled its search request for Russian businessman Suleyman Kerimov from Interpol, Belarusian Interior Minister Igor Shunevich said.
"Our Interpol request for Kerimov has been annulled. Kerimov is within the Russian Federation jurisdiction, and his prosecution is also within Russia's jurisdiction," Shunevich told journalists in Minsk on Wednesday.
Belarus has also annulled its Interpol search request for former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner, he said.
"Since Russia has taken measures to prosecute Baumgertner, our request has become irrelevant and was withdrawn at our initiative," Shunevich said.
Uralkali CEO and member of the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) advisory board Baumgertner was detained in Minsk at the end of August 2013. The Belarusian Investigative Committee charged him with abuse of office, a crime carrying up to 10 years in prison in Belarus.
A month before this, Uralkali had announced its decision to stop exports through Belarusian Potash Company, a joint trader with Belaruskali.
Soon after Baumgertner's detention, Belarus indicted Kerimov, a Uralkali shareholder, in absentia in a criminal case against BPC top managers. Belarusian investigative bodies said in early September 2013 that they would demand Kerimov's arrest and would seek to declare him wanted, including through Interpol.
Belarusian investigators also qualified Kerimov's actions as the organization of abuse of office.
The Belarusian Interior Ministry reported on September 3 that Interpol had decided to declare Kerimov internationally wanted. Interpol had confirmed on September 11 that it had received a request from the Belarusian authorities to detain Kerimov, who is a member of the Russian Federation Council, and four top managers of Belarusian Potash Company.
Baumgertner was extradited to Russia and placed in a Moscow detention facility on November 22. He was granted house arrest at the investigation's request on December 10.
The criminal case against Baumgertner is being handled by the Russian Investigative Committee's Main Investigations Department. Baumgertner has been charged with "taking advantage of his powers as a person exercising managerial functions in a commercial organization contrary to this organization's legitimate interests and with the aim of deriving benefits and advantages for himself and other individuals, which has led to grave consequences," a crime covered by Russian Criminal Code Article 33 Part 3 and Article 201 Part 2.