Russian politician arrested after two-month holiday in Mauritius

A 38-year-old Russian national, claiming to be a political opponent of his country’s Vladimir Putin, has been arrested in Italy after landing from a two-month stay in Mauritius.

The man, whose name has been retained, was arrested in Rimini, a province in northern Italy.

He is accused of having embezzled 187 million rubles, or about Rs1.34 billion from the Russian state and was reportedly sentenced in his home country to 10 years in prison for the offence.

He appeared before the Bologna Court of Appeals where he claimed to know nothing about the conviction and to be completely unconnected to the scam.

The man added that he and his family had spent two months hassle-free holidays in Mauritius. He claimed to be “a political opponent of Vladimir Putin” and that is why he got into trouble.

He reportedly expressed fears of being extradited to Russia and will reportedly apply for political asylum in Italy.

The judges ordered his release on parole.

Sources: Today Italy, Rimini Today