Russian prosecutors ask Switzerland to extradite offender, committed crimes in Russia

The Russian prosecution service has asked its Swiss counterpart to detain and extradite Spanish and Israeli citizen Filipp Turover on charges of committing numerous crimes in Russia. Russian law enforcement agencies believe that Turover is staying in Switzerland, Alexander Buksman, prosecutor of Moscow's Central District, said on Friday, Interfax announces. Turover has been on Russia's wanted list since February 2000. Charges against him include fraud, instigation to bribe an official and larceny, Buksman said. A criminal case against him was opened in December 1999 and taken over by the district's prosecution office in February 2000, he said. Turover's supplied much of the evidence in the so-called Mabetex case of abuse in the presidential property managing office, Interfax reports. Former Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Skuratov, who ordered the opening of the case, is known to have had personal contacts with Turover.