MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Russian police detained on Tuesday a fourth suspect in the attempted assassination of the head of Russia's electricity monopoly and former privatisation chief Anatoly Chubais last year, Interfax news agency said.

Three former military intelligence officers are facing trial for bombing Chubais' motorcade near Moscow in 2005. Chubais, a hate figure for many Russians who feel robbed by the 1990s privatisation campaign he steered, escaped unharmed.

Interfax said police had detained Ivan Mironov, 25, on suspicion of being linked to the attack.

"My son Ivan was detained in Moscow today," the agency quoted his mother Tatiana as saying. "He has already been charged."

A spokesman for Moscow's prosecutor would only say an investigation into Mironov's involvement in the murder attempt has started but refused to confirm if Mironov had actually been detained or charged.

Chubais, who has occupied several key positions including deputy prime minister and the Kremlin chief of staff, now heads Russia's electricity monopoly United Energy System <EESR.RTS>.

In the early 1990s as the head of Russia's privatisation agency, he oversaw the process of dismantling the state-controlled communist economy. The process produced a few super-rich winners, known as oligarchs, and tens of millions of disenchanted losers.

The three people already charged with the attack on Chubais, headed by former military intelligence colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, have pleaded not guilty in court but they do not hide their negative attitude towards Chubais.

AlertNet news is provided by

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit                                                                                  Permalink