Russia Probes Berezovsky 'plot'

[TriWooOx]

Quote:Russia's chief prosecutor says he has launched new criminal proceedings against the exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who lives in London.

Earlier, Mr Berezovsky said he was plotting a "revolution" to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prosecutor-general Yuri Chaika said Mr Berezovsky's comments, made to the British newspaper the Guardian, were grounds for a criminal prosecution.

Mr Berezovsky was granted political asylum in Britain in 2003.

He told The Guardian that "we need to use force to change this regime" - referring to President Putin's administration in the Kremlin.

Undermined

He also said he was giving financial support to unnamed members of Russia's political elite who wanted to force a change of leadership in Moscow.

The Kremlin said the comments undermined Mr Berezovsky's right to refugee status in Britain.

Mr Berezovsky has a fortune estimated at £800m ($1.4bn).

Previously an ally of the former President, Boris Yeltsin, he has already fought off Russian extradition requests on fraud charges which he said were politically motivated.

He was one of the first targets of President Putin's crackdown on the Russian oligarchs - well-connected entrepreneurs who made fortunes during privatisation - and went into self-imposed exile abroad at the end of 2000.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6551643.stm