Russia Asks Britain To Extradite Former Banker

Andrei Borodin (file photo)

Russia has asked Britain to extradite the Bank of Moscow's former president -- who fled to London almost a year ago -- over alleged wrongdoings in a fraudulent loan.

Russian authorities are investigating Andrei Borodin as part of a probe into a $442 million loan he granted in 2009 to construction magnate Yelena Baturina, the wife of Moscow's longtime former Mayor Yury Luzhkov.

Russia has issued an international arrest warrant for Borodin and a spokeswoman, Marina Gridneva, said on March 16 that Russian prosecutors had sent to the British authorities a request demanding his extradition.

President Dmitry Medvedev fired Luzhkov in 2010 after a televised campaign highlighting alleged corruption.

In Britain, the Home Office said it did not comment on individual extradition requests until a person had been arrested.

With AFP reporting