A Russian man residing in Switzerland
has been arrested in relation to the case of Russian businessman
Artem Uss, who fled house arrest in Italy in March 2023 before
he could be extradited to the United States.
Uss, the son of a former Siberian governor and oil magnate close
to Russian President Vladimir Putin, broke his ankle tag while
under house arrest in Basiglio, near Milan, and escaped back to
Russia after a Milan court had approved his extradition to the
US, where he is wanted on numerous charges.
He is said to have exploited an international network of
contacts, including a Serbian criminal gang, in order to get
away.
Uss had been arrested in Italy at the request of the United
States on October 17, 2022, and transferred to prison before a
three-judge panel of the Milan court approved his request to be
moved to house arrest.
The US embassy in Rome reportedly asked the Italian authorities
to reconsider because of the risk of escape, but the justice
ministry replied that the jurisdiction rested with the courts.
The affair caused friction between the ministry and the
judiciary and prompted Premier Giorgia Meloni to say the
government would clear up "anomalies".
The arrested man, Dimitry Chirakadze, 54, is suspect of having
planned the escape.
He is thought to have been the superior of the gang that
actually helped Uss get away, three of whom have been arrested.
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