Russia likely to ask Israel to arrest businessman Sergei Polonsky

Russia is likely to place an official request with Israel to arrest businessman Sergei Polonsky, following the court's sanction, the businessman's lawyer Diana Tatosova told reporters on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, a Moscow court sanctioned his arrest in absentia. Polonsky, wanted by Interpol, is staying in Israel. "The consequences might be as follows: Russia places an official request with Israel to arrest Polonsky," Tatosova said. The lawyer said she would appeal the court's ruling on arrest in absentia. Investigator Oleg Silchenko told the report the businessman had been put on the international wanted list on July 25 and that Polonsky had asked the Israeli Interior Ministry to grant him citizenship in order to avoid criminal prosecution in Russia. Polonsky's lawyer Diana Tatosova said Polonsky's request to issue him an Israeli passport had nothing to do with his avoiding responsibility in Russia. On June 14, Russian Interior Ministry investigators charged Sergei Polonsky in absentia with fraud in the project to build the Kutuzovskaya Milya residential area. More than 80 citizens were recognized as injured parties. The investigators said the Polonsky-controlled company had received some 5.7 billion rubles from investors but later suspended construction failing to meet the contract terms. The company's administration then initiated bankruptcy proceedings and liquidation. Earlier Polonsky placed an address to the Interior Ministry's investigation department on Facebook stating that he had no intention to escape. He noted however that he had to stay in Israel. In his view, the charges within the Kutuzovskaya Milya case should be changed from fraud to "theft of money belonging to Polonsky's company by a group of persons."