New details of Ablyazov's arrest unveiled

British Financial Times has published new details of yesterday's arrest of Mukhtar Ablyazov in France. Referring to Ablyazovs’ lawyer, FT writes that the banker was with his sister Gaukhar Ablyazova during the arrest. Gaukhar Ablyazova was granted the political asylum by the United States in 2004 and was not arrested. Bloomberg writes that he was at his sister's house at the time of the arrest. An official representative of the Regional Service of France’s judicial police in Marseille also confirmed that the exile Kazakhstan tycoon was arrested. According to him, Ablyazov was arrested on July 31 in Mouans-Sartoux not far from Grasse. The village of Mouans-Sartoux is located about 8 km north of Cannes. Earlier Ablyazov's family lawyer told FT that Russia requested extradition of his client. But the official from the French police said that French authorities received the extradition request from Ukraine, not Russia. He added that the Kazakh ex-banker would most likely be transferred to Paris where the court will decide on his extradition. Citing an unnamed source Reuters reports that Ablyazov will be transferred from Cannes to Aix-en-Provence within 24 hours after the arrest and held their at the request of Interpol. The court hearing has been scheduled for 10.30 a.m. local time on Thursday. It is expected that the court will decide between leaving Ablyazov under arrest or releasing him on bail until the time he will have to appear in court for a decision on his extradition to be taken. Ablyazov is wanted in Kazakhstan for embezzlement, fraud, money laundering and siphoning off BTA bank's funds through dummy companies and illegal financial schemes. He fled Kazakhstan in 2009 when BTA Bank he used to chair was found to have an estimated $15 billion hole in its accounts. He was put on the international wanted list in March 2009. Ablyazov was granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 2011, but repaid it with a contempt of London's High Court. The court barred his lawyers from making oral submissions because of their client’s numerous obstructions of justice and sentenced Ablyazov to 22 months in jail for contempt of court for lying about his assets and violating the court's freezing order issued in 2009. Later the court deprived Ablyazov of the right to defend in court. BTA bank is pursuing Mr Ablyazov in London’s court for misappropriation of at least $6bn from the bank. FT called this case "one of the biggest and most complex fraud cases in banking history".