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Prokhorov Vs Potanin: Court Battle Begins
The so-called divorce of Mikhail Prokhorov and Vladimir Potanin has reached the court. ONEXIM chief Prokhorov lodged a suit to the Moscow Arbitration Court, seeking protection for his business reputation.
In his suit to Potanin, Prokhorov refers to the recent interview that Interros chief gave to the Moscow Times, comparing him with a showman and with notorious policymaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, in the business interpretation of the latter.
Indeed, Potanin’s interview was emotional, particularly in part of evaluating the business style of ONEXIM owner. Potanin accused the former partner of breaching business agreements when dividing the assets and blamed inconsistency and unpredictability on him.
Potanin said Prokhorov had promised to sell Norilsk Nickel to Metalloinvest owner Alisher Usmanov and to him and buy Polus Zoloto instead. According to the sources, when completing the deal to sell a blocking stake to Rusal, Prokhorov simultaneously negotiated the sale of the same stake to Potanin and Usmanov.
In Prokhorov’s environment, they specify that the matter at stake isn’t the insult caused by comparing Prokhorov and LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, but rather the attempt to doubt business behavior of Prokhorov. The compensation amount is being negotiated and is of no particular significance, as the claimant will be probably satisfied with public apologizing or refutation in media.
People in Interros are optimistic about the outcome of the court battle, reasoning that the chance that Prokhorov will prevail in the court is very slim. “Someone may view these statements provocative, others are sure that Vladimir Potanin has just expressed his personal attitude to the matters,” they insist.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 24, 2008
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