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Kerimov has not received any written notification of criminal proceedings against him, lawyer says

Suleiman Kerimov has not received any summons or written notification of criminal proceedings against him in Belarus, Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer for the top shareholder of Russia's potash company Uralkali, told reporters on Wednesday, BelaPAN said.

"It's impossible to say anything today, including regarding the Interpol, because we need to have documents, including procedural records, to say something," Mr. Kucherena said.

He refused to say what steps would be taken to protect his client's interests.

On September 2, the Investigative Committee of Belarus instituted criminal proceedings against the billionaire, who represents the Republic of Dagestan in Russia's upper parliamentary house and is said to directly own a 17-percent stake in Uralkali.

Mr. Kerimov was Russia’s 20th richest person in 2012 with a fortune of $7.1 billion, according to the business magazine Forbes.

Pavel Travulka, spokesman for the Investigative Committee of Belarus, told BelaPAN on Monday that the 47-year-old Kerimov had been put on Interpol's wanted list and would be placed in a detention center when he was arrested.

He is facing a charge of power abuse under Part Four of the Criminal Code's Article 16 and Part Three of Article 424, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and the forfeiture of property.

According to Mr. Travulka, while probing the case against Mr. Kerimov, Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner and other individuals, the Investigative Committee has turned up evidence that they have caused considerable damage to the Russian economy and are liable to prosecution under Russia's Criminal Code.

Mr. Travulka said that the Investigative Committee would send its findings to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. He said that the Committee was ready to provide its full assistance to the Prosecutor General's Office, including help with investigating Mr. Kerimov's possible links to organized crime in the Caucasus.