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Monaco ambassador refrains from comment on Russian billionaire case

The authorities of Monaco, where Russian tycoon and owner of football club AS Monaco Dmitry Rybolovlev was detained, decline to comment on the case

Dmitry Rybolovlev AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

Dmitry Rybolovlev

© AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 12. /TASS/. Monaco’s Ambassador to Russia Mireille Pettiti is not commenting on the situation around Russian tycoon and owner of football club AS Monaco Dmitry Rybolovlev suspected of corruption.

"I cannot comment on this case because of the secrecy of investigation, therefore I don’t know the facts apart from those that have already appeared in media," the ambassador said in reply to a TASS query.

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Russian billionaire Rybolovlev arrives in Russia from Monaco

"Presumption of innocence applies to everybody as long as a court trial continues," she said.

Dmitry Rybolovlev, 51, who is ranked 18th in the Forbes list of the "200 richest businessmen in Russia in 2018," was detained in Monaco for questioning on November 6. His residence La Belle Epoque was searched. Among those detained were Rybolovlev’s lawyer Tatiana Bersheda and several high-ranking judicial officials of Monaco. All of them are suspected of corruption.

After being questioned all those involved were set free but placed under judicial control. According to Nice-Matin newspaper, Rybolovlev faces charges of active influence peddling, active corruption and complicity in the breach of confidentiality of inquiry. Rybolovlev arrived in Russia last week, his spokesman said.

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