( Itar-Tass ) - A court in Brazil issued on Thursday an arrest warrant for Russian self-exiled business tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who is living in London.
Berezovsky, who is wanted in Russia and is tried in absentia for embezzling millions of dollars from Aeroflot airlines, is suspected by Brazil's prosecutors of money laundering and the creation of a criminal group.
The office of the prosecutor general of Brazil requested to arrest the leaders of the Media Sports Investment (MSI) group, which is a sponsor of the national Corinthians football club, local media reported.
In May 2006 Berezovsky was detained for several hours in San Paolo airport and questioned about MSI financial violations. He was later allowed to leave the country.
This time, besides Berezovsky, judge Fausto Martins Sanctis from the federal court of San Paolo issued arrest warrants for two other MSI co-owners - Iranian Kia Djuranchian and financial director Nojan Bedru.
As all of them are outside Brazil, the arrest warrants were handed over to Interpol. MSI accounts have been frozen in Brazil.
Prosecutors began investigating MSI activities after some of the Corinthians leadership doubted the origin of the money to finance the club. In 2005 the club purchased several noted players and won the national championship.