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Russian Businessman Jailed For Stealing From Turkmen Bank


Savely Burshtein in Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky court
Savely Burshtein in Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky court
The Zamoskvoretsky court in Moscow has sentenced businessman Savely Burshtein to six years in prison for stealing some $20 million from the Central Bank of Turkmenistan in 2002.

Burshtein was one of a group of people who used SWIFT bank numbers (used for transferring money) and the electronic banking system to transfer millions of dollars out of Turkmenistan.

An international warrant was issued for Burshtein's arrest in 2003 and he was finally apprehended in the Czech Republic in 2008 and deported to Russia.

Russian judiciary officials said Turkmenistan is eligible to claim the $20 million back from Burshtein.

compiled from agency reports

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