Monday, September 03, 2007

Berezovsky wants "orange revolution" money back from Ukraine





14:18 | 03/ 09/ 2007

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KIEV, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Boris Berezovsky, the fugitive Russian oligarch, is suing Ukrainian politicians for nearly $23 million he says he provided to fund the country's 2004 "orange revolution," Ukrainian justice authorities said Monday.

The London-based businessman, who has a British passport, has filed a suit against Oleksandr Tretyakov and David Zhvaniya, parliamentarians from the pro-presidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc, with the High Court of England and Wales, the Ukrainian Justice Ministry said.

Berezovsky, 61, accused the two politicians, who have been summoned to court September 5 to receive subpoenas, of misusing the money he allocated for what he called the development of democracy.

The "orange revolution" was a popular bloodless uprising in Ukraine that brought pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko to power following a controversial run-off election November 21, 2004, that declared pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych the victor.

Tretyakov is a former presidential aide, and Zhvaniya was emergencies minister in 2005.

Berezovsky, who is wanted in Russia on charges of fraud and a coup attempt, said he transferred the money to the accounts of Yushchenko's relatives, who have denied the allegations. Berezovsky said he would sue them as well.

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