MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is seeking the extradition from Spain of the former head of Yukos subsidiary Fargoil, a Spanish national, who fled Russia after being formally charged of embezzling $13 billion, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
In March 2007, Moscow's Basmanny Court sentenced Antonio Valdez-Garcia's two co-accused, former executives for subsidiaries bankrupt oil company Yukos, to 11 and 12 years in prison for stealing $13 billion.
"An extradition request for our client to Russia is being prepared," Roman Karpinsky said.
Vladimir Malakhovsky, ex-managing director of the Ratibor production unit, Vladimir Pereverzin, a one-time deputy head of Yukos's foreign debt department, and Valdez-Garcia were charged with orchestrating a scheme to divert $13 billion worth of crude oil and launder $8.5 billion of the receipts.
The Spanish national escaped from his Moscow apartment while under house arrest awaiting trial.
The lawyer said the Valdez-Garcia trial, which was started at Moscow's Basmanny Court in absentia in November 2008, had been suspended indefinitely in light of the extradition request.
Karpinsky said Valdez-Garcia's lawyers are unaware of his current whereabouts.
Fresh embezzlement and money laundering charges have been brought against Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev, who are currently serving eight-year sentences for fraud and tax evasion.
