BTA filed motion to deprive Ablyazov of right to defend in court

Representatives of BTA Bank have applied to London's High Court with a motion to deprive Mukhtar Ablyazov of the right to protect his interests in court, RIA Novosti writes. The bank is asking to deprive Ablyazov of the right to defend his interests in court if he does not surrender to the authorities by 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on March 2 and does not agree to fully disclose his assets by 8:00 p.m. on March 9. A court hearing on the bank's motion was held on February 24. The materials submitted to court contain assumptioins that ex-chairman could have already left Great Britain and moved to France using the documents he failed to submit to the court earlier. The bank's representatives fear that he could have violated the order on freezing the assets, same as he had done before. London’s High Court sentenced Ablyazov to 22 months in prison for contempt of court. “He must be taken into custody immediately,” judge Nigel Teare said. This ruling was made on the motion on contempt of court filed by BTA Bank. The defendant did not attend the hearing. “We fear he may be in the process of fleeing if he has not done so already,” The Financial Times cites BTA Bank’s barrister Stephen Smith. “We have always felt he would flee rather than face the consequences,” he added.