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Upper house speaker warns attempts of pressuring Russia over Calvey case doomed to failure

Michael Calvey was detained and later arrested on suspicion of embezzling $37.5 mln from Vostochny Bank

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said in an interview with TASS it is unacceptable to politicize the case of US financier Michael Calvey, founder of the Baring Vostok private equity firm, charged with fraud in Russia.

CALVEY CASE

"It’s unacceptable to politicize the case of Michael Calvey. Yes, the country’s leadership is watching closely the situation, but it is not meddling in it in any way. The attempts to influence the investigation and judicial proceedings and put pressure on Russia are doomed to failure. Those who try to do this are acting at least shortsightedly," Matviyenko said, commenting on the plans of some US officials and representatives of major American companies to skip the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum due on June 6-8.

Michael Calvey, founder of private-equity firm Baring Vostok, was detained and later arrested on suspicion of embezzling 2.5 bln rubles ($37.5 mln) from Vostochny Bank. Moscow’s Basmanny Court also arrested five other suspects in the case. Calvey was sent to a pre-trial detention center, but later he was placed under house arrest.

On Tuesday, a representative from the US State Department told TASS that the US will not send a government delegation to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Last week, Andrea Kalan, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Russia, said that Ambassador Jon Huntsman would boycott the St. Petersburg economic forum over Calvey’s case.

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