MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's top prosecutors have contacted Spanish authorities on the request of tycoon Oleg Deripaska, seeking clarification over the mention of his name in a money laundering investigation, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors said.
Deripaska filed the request on September 9, General Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Marina Gridneva told RIA Novosti.
"As Oleg Deripaska's request has questions relating to Spain's legal authorities, it was sent to the Spanish Ministry of Justice on September 15 for consideration," she said.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported on Sunday that Baltasar Garzon, a top Spanish judge, is expected to travel to Moscow in early December to question Deripaska over money laundering by Russian firms.
The oligarch has denied any links to the companies involved in the case.
A representative of Deripaska said in a statement distributed on Sunday: "Some time ago, we found out that Oleg Deripaska's name was mentioned by certain individuals being questioned as part of a court case in Spain. Because of this, Oleg Deripaska sent a request to the Russian General Prosecutor's Office, asking for this information to be clarified, and expressing his willingness to answer any questions."
"In reality, Oleg Deripaska did not and does not have any relation to the companies, including those mentioned in the Spanish press... We believe Spanish authorities' conclusions are erroneous and hope the misunderstanding will be settled in the near future," the statement said.
