New York - The former Russian Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, who has threatened to sue Mr George W. Bush for accusing him of stealing IMF money, said yesterday he would drop plans to take legal action if Bush apologised. Mr Chernomyrdin was in New York to receive an award. He said he had taken his case to the Moscow city prosecutor's office last month and to US lawyers.
Mr Bush said part of a $4.8 billion IMF loan to prop up the Russian rouble in 1998 had "ended up in Viktor Chernomyrdin's pockets".
