Cyprus ministry denies termination of cooperation in Browder case

ATHENS, Oct 11 (PRIME) -- The Justice and Public Order Ministry of Cyprus has denied that it terminated cooperation with Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office in a criminal case against William Browder, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said its delegation was denied audience at an agreed date to conduct investigative activities under the case because Browder has applied to court asking the Cypriot government to discontinue cooperation with Russia under his case because of a political bias. The ministry said it doubted legality of the refusal to cooperate.

The Cypriot ministry said that it had sent the request to the police ordering them to fulfill it and the police is ready to fulfill it.

“Given the fact that after the agreements a suit was registered for it to be fulfilled, the Justice and Public Order Ministry decided to suspend further police actions on implementation of the request with respect to the court proceedings and with a wish to not anticipate a court verdict, because courts rule on such decisions quickly, and notified Russian investigators of that immediately,” the ministry said.

This fact cannot be treated as termination of cooperation with Russia, and it will continue in the framework defined by the European convention rights after the end of the court proceedings, the ministry said.

Browder, a U.S. investor, was an employer of auditor Sergei Magnitsky, whose death in a Moscow jail caused a public outcry. A Russian court later sanctioned Browder’s arrest in absentia saying his acquisition of gas giant Gazprom shares was embezzlement.

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