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Subscribe to RSSLONDON -- A Russian former banker was in a critical condition and under armed guard in hospital on Monday after surviving an assassination attempt outside his luxury apartment in London's financial district.
German Gorbuntsov, 45, who at the height of his business empire owned four Russian banks, was walking toward his upscale apartment block in the Canary Wharf area when a gunman shot him five times on Tuesday.
The gunman escaped on foot, The Telegraph newspaper reported.
Police said they were searching for a taxi driver who let Gorbuntsov out moments before the 7:30 p.m. attack, according to the newspaper.
Coma
Gorbuntsov's lawyer, Vadim Vedenin, told Reuters his client remained in a medically induced coma to give him a chance to recover, and that doctors were hoping to revive him in about three days.
Vedenin said that Gorbuntsov had been days away from giving evidence to an investigation into the attempted murder of a former business associate, Alexander Antonov, in 2009.
"He was preparing to give evidence on certain people. He has already given it in written form and he was going to do so in official testimony," Vedenin said by phone, adding that Gorbuntsov had come to London because he feared for his life.
Frantic shouting
London police said on Saturday they were keeping an open mind about the motive of the attack outside the apartment block. A member of the building's staff, who declined to give his name, said he heard no shots, but ran outside when he heard frantic shouting.
London is home to thousands of Russian business people seeking capital, prestige and, in many cases, a haven from the rough and tumble of their home country's financial world.
Cash-for-access scandal leaves UK government reeling
Antonov made his career in the nuclear industry, then became its banker as owner of Konversbank, a financial institution founded to serve the nuclear industry about two decades ago.
Antonov said he and Gorbuntsov had disagreed over the terms of a bank sale just before the debt crisis of 2008, but that there had been no acrimony.
"Our relationship is friendly, and it has always been friendly," he told Reuters. "I have a great personal interest in his testimony."
The attempt on his life in 2009 was linked in Russia to the 2008 murder in Moscow of Ruslan Yamadayev, a powerful opponent of the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
The two incidents were tried as a single case and three men were convicted. But the person or persons who ordered the murders was never identified, and the case had lain dormant until this year.
Spy case
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Britain have been tested by a series of disputes involving Russian emigres.
Russia has refused to extradite the man suspected of murdering former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko by putting radioactive polonium in his tea in London.
Meanwhile, London courts have refused to extradite men wanted in Russia, including the Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, a former Kremlin insider turned fierce critic with criminal convictions in Russia.
Berezovsky, who says the charges brought against him in Russia are politically motivated, told Reuters by telephone from London that he did not know Gorbuntsov personally, nor did he know of any Russian criminals hiding out in London.
"One can give differing views, but it is important to understand that ... there is no place safer than London from Kremlin bandits or from Russian or international criminals," he told Reuters. "But that of course is no guarantee they won't get you."
Msnbc.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Hummm, I guess Putin wanted his banks! LOL!!
I think if I was shot I probably would do some swearing.
#1. maybe the act...neighborhood watch guy...waiting for more info...#2.the quality of hit men... ain't what it use to be...
I think it's more like, he doesn't belong to the Builderberg club for a democratic planet ???
If you're going to be a good paranoid wackjob, you're going to have to learn the names of your mythical enemies. It's "Bilderberg," not "Builderberg." You might know that if you actually read, instead of getting your politcs from ranting radio crazies.
hahahaha! i love people who get their news from talk radio! some of the most gullible people i've ever met, but always good for a free lunch.
Hell naw. @!$%# like this actually happens in real life.
In the 1930's bankers were drug into the streets and hung, I guess we have arrived at that point again. When you take advantage of so many people you're going to have some enemies.
In that case, I nominate Jamie Dimon. All you need to know is JPM703 and Madoff as to why he should be the first to be made an example of. Anyone second the nomination?
I won't be surprised at all when we start seeing this in the USA. Congress sure as hell isn't going to reign in the criminal bankers.
I was wondering the same thing. I would like to know if the shooter plans a visit to the US any time soon?
It would sure make for interesting comments.
Probably because Congress is given insider trading info and protects the bankers for hiding their monetary gains . . .
Well the Russian are a bit more ruthless, they just kill you.
Wall Street bankrupts you and put you on the street looking for a park bench for the night.
Take your pick off a system that you like better.
Wall Street hasn't put anybody I know on a park bench. If you would up there, chances are, it's your own damned fault and that's probably where you belong.
Either way, the gene-pool won't miss you.
Fitzbaum, you must be a banker
A Banksters life is just full of surprises
File this under " who gives a flying @#$( "
When I read the headline I immediately thought someone who got financially raped by a bankster was getting his dues, but I see its just old style "Kill'em before they testify against me" stuff. Ho Hum.
Now back to news!
Russia has some of the strictest (and Draconian) gun laws and one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Gun Controllers.
i agree...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acWqqn19x0g
This happened in London you moron.
Greedy bankers, Wall Street thieves and lying stealing politians....need to be disposed of. Here in America we need a good old fashion revolution to retake our country. Lets start with the mexican night-crawlers who cross the borders daily with their dope and then go to Wall Street to lynch a few of those Ba_tards and finally Washington for the congress and senate thieves. Its time folks!
Yes, AzMan... With brave keyboard commandos such as yourself leading the charge, this revolution is sure to come soon.
Here's a piece of advice. Keep your fat, broke rear-end planted securely on the couch where it belongs. You'll be fed, clothed, and your crack will be wiped for you, as it probably has for the duration of your insignificant little existence.
Listening to microbes like you scream and shout (silently on an internet news response board) about revolution pretty much guarantees that it will never happen.
In the off chance that you do manage to plod your way onto the street, just remember this: The moment you start a riot, or take the law into your own hands, you'll have plenty of American citizens ready to ventilate your cranium.
The person who gives the order should lead the charge. We're waiting for you Azman.
Fitzbaum
Fitz the Tree. Touchy today arn't we eh. Rup, or teaparty by any chance?
Maybe we should send a logger to cut you down a notch and make some funiture out of you. You are a BAUM after all.
dont forget the white crack heads using the dope
Fitzbaum, you must be a banker
whats wrong Fitzbaum?...are the feces falling a little too close to your lunchbox?...idiot americans like you only enable the thieves and criminals who are destroying our country...Instead of leaving cowardly threats on the internet, how about waking the f*ck up and looking outside of your own ignorance?...mouth breathing knob...
Reagan orchestrated tearing down the wall but really, the Cold War needed to be set aside so they could go after the 'new' terrorists, those that owned the land the bulk of the 'oil' was coming from. Now we have the 'hot' war since it's mostly fought in the desert rather then in 'cold' siberia.... The worst part is, the same 1% are still running things globally. Traveling in the US is no different then traveling in 1934-1944 Germany except we have to take off our shoes and get radiated. Only Bush & Co's former Security Advisor 200-2003 would get the contract to supply radiation to the 99% courtesy of your local airport.
Remember folks, Europe couldn't have 'lost' this way without the Eurodollar. It takes a mutually used currency for Banks, WS and Europe WS to coordinate a rip off of the 99% by the 1% at that level. Just like the US dollar.
Somebody should have been using a bigger caliber!!!
we should take care of the bankers here in some way, after all they did too us.
Sorry, but two things I don't like are, Russians and BANKERS. World's worse. I'm surprised more people who are loosing their home because of these crooks haven't been attacking the banks. I DO NOT ADVOCTE IT, NOR WOULD I EVER DO IT MYSELF but people who are surffering might. It's not the right thing to do but you can understand it. Concerned AMERICAN, Larry Velasco
Everytime a Banker dies, an angel gets its wings and a demon gets another soul to eat.
I read your post and i can't stop laughing. Well said.
That is funny! Well said also!
First step in the process, vote every incumbent out and start from scratch.
Plain and simple this guy screwed someone over. Hey this is the life he choose GREEDDDDDDDDDDDDD.
Rather that than poverty.
I wouldn't mind if some of our American bankers got the same treatment.
Becareful what you wish for Eddie, somebody might see your post and take you up on it!
Is the Occupy movement active in Russia?
excellent!...americans need to follow suit and eliminate these criminal scumbags...ready!....aim!...fire!
One down, thousands to go ...
Russia is still a third world country. If it weren't for Vodka, they'd all be pissed off, all the time.
Let me guess who was behind this one,like he was behind all the other ones! Here's a clue,he just elected himself KING in Russia!