Charges dropped against Gusinsky

Moscow - Prosecutors have dropped fraud charges against the independent media mogul Mr Vladimir Gusinsky, a spokesman said yesterday…

Moscow - Prosecutors have dropped fraud charges against the independent media mogul Mr Vladimir Gusinsky, a spokesman said yesterday, bringing an abrupt end to a lawsuit against a fierce Kremlin critic.

Mr Gusinsky was informed of the decision late on Wednesday and immediately left for Spain to rejoin his family, said his lawyer. The tycoon's arrest and temporary imprisonment last month brought howls of protest from nervous fellow magnates, and prompted concerns about free speech under President Vladimir Putin.