Fugitive telecoms entrepreneur Yevgeny Chichvarkin fears that smuggling charges could be brought against him as part of a 2005 criminal case, his lawyer said Monday.
Russian investigators said Monday they had dropped charges against Chichvarkin, the former CEO of cell phone retailer Euroset, after what was widely viewed as a politically motivated case. Russia had sought his extradition since he fled to Britain in 2008. He was accused of kidnapping an employee and of blackmail.
"There really are fears that Chichvarkin could be brought to criminal account as part of a criminal case opened in 2005 against Yakov Ardashnikov, the head of a brokerage firm, charged with organizing large-scale mobile phone and accessory smuggling," lawyer Yury Gervis said.
"Chichvarkin was questioned as an eyewitness on this case several times. The case is still being investigated, and my client still has the status of an eyewitness, but there are fears this status could be changed," he added.
The Westminster Magistrates Court in London has invariably blocked Chichvarkin's extradition, saying he was unlikely to get a fair trial at home.
Chichvarkin said last week he would return home if the Russian Prosecutor General's Office annulled the extradition warrant.
The 36-year-old businessman remains on Interpol's wanted list.
MOSCOW, January 24 (RIA Novosti)
