Poland gives up Russian prosecutor

The Polish authorities gave the final go-ahead for the extradition of former Russian prosecutor Alexander Ignatienko, Polish news service TVN24 reported on February 6.

“Former Russian prosecutor Alexander Ignatienko left the Tarnow penitentiary and will be taken to Warsaw in a special convoy,” TVN24 wrote on its website. “He will soon be handed over to the Russians under an extradition order, Deputy Justice Minister Wojciech Wegrzyn said.”

Ignatienko, former deputy to the Moscow Oblast prosecutor, was on the Interpol wanted list. He was discovered near Poland’s ski resort Zakopane by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) at the start of January 2012.

The Russian is wanted on charges of corruption and fraud. He is accused of colluding with individuals from his department, between August 2009 and April 2010, in not pursuing a gang suspected of illegal practices in the betting industry. Ignatienko allegedly accepted a USD 1.5 mln bribe to turn a blind eye to the case.

He is also accused of contriving to cause one of the organizers of the aforementioned betting ring to manage his property in a manner that was unprofitable and disadvantageous.

Ignatienko is expected to reach Russia by Thursday February 7.