BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
26/03/2008
Belarusian security agency charges U.S. lawyer with using false documents
MINSK, Belarus (AP) - A U.S. lawyer who is an expert on money laundering in the former Soviet Union has been charged with possession of false documents, Belarus' top security agency said Wednesday.
The agency, which goes by its Soviet-era title KGB, confirmed that Emanuel Zeltser had been its custody since he was detained March
12 as he arrived for meetings with clients.
But it gave no further details about the circumstances of his arrest or what exactly the documents were allegedly used for.
It said Zeltzer faces up to 3 years in prison if convicted.
The 54-year-old, Russian-born lawyer heads the non-governmental American Russian Law Institute in New York and is a known expert on organized crime and money laundering, particularly from the former Soviet Union.
His clients have included Pavel Borodin, a former Kremlin aide who was accused of money laundering by a Swiss court, and Badri Patarkatsishvili, the late billionaire who was a bitter opponent of Georgia's current administration.
The security agency made no mention of his secretary, Russian national Vladlena Funk, who was also detained March 12 at the Minsk airport.
The top U.S. diplomat in Belarus, Jonathan Moore, was quoted by the BelaPAN news agency on Tuesday as saying that U.S. officials had had no contact with Zeltzer since his detention.
The case could further damage ties between Minsk and Washington, which have been roiled in recent months after Washington slapped sanctions on the state-controlled oil-processing and chemicals company, Belneftekhim.
Belarusian security official have accused the United States of running a spy ring, and Washington this week said it would cut in half its embassy staff, bowing to Belarus' demands.
Source:
http://www.pr-inside.com/belarusian-security-agency-charges-u-s-r504434.htm
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