RIO DE JANEIRO, May 6 (RIA Novosti) - Fugitive oligarch Boris Berezovsky was detained in Brazil and questioned for eight hours over money laundering suspicions, the Russian Consulate General said.
"Boris Berezovsky was taken off a flight [to London] and invited for questioning, in line with a court decision, as a person of interest for Brazilian investigating bodies," the Consulate General said.
Brazilian prosecutors said they suspected Berezovsky, who is wanted in Russia on massive embezzlement and fraud charges and has lived in London since 2003, of running MSI Ltd. via his agent, Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian. Sport investment agency MSI, the general sponsor of one of Brazil's most popular soccer clubs, Corinthians, is suspected of laundering money via football clubs.
Brazil's financial watchdogs have been monitoring the company on suspicion of laundering money since 2005.
Police could not find Berezovsky at a stadium in Sao Paulo where he was reported Thursday night to be watching a match between Corinthians and Argentina's River Plate that ended 1:3 and was followed by a major scuffle. But he was detained at Sao Paulo's airport next morning.
Berezovsky was questioned via an interpreter and in the presence of his lawyer, and was released eight hours later.
The Consulate General said Berezovsky was carrying a British passport issued in the name of Platon Yelenin. Prosecutors seized two laptops, cell phones, and documents as part of the MSI/Corinthians investigation.
In an interview with Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper in May 2005, Berezovsky said he would build a new stadium for the club and an entertainment center for concerts, shows, and other events. The newspaper quoted Berezovsky, who said he would invest $50 million in the project.
Russian newspapers said Friday that Berezovsky's business interests in the country also extended to the air carrier industry.
Berezovsky, formerly a co-owner of Russia's leading airline Aeroflot and who could still have a stake in air operator Transaero, plans to buy a stake in Brazil's largest air carrier, Varig, which is facing bankruptcy, Vedomosti and Kommersant business dailies reported.
Vedomosti said the tycoon had declined to comment, but Varig's press secretary had confirmed that Berezovsky had made an offer to buy a share block, without giving further details.
