Poland confirms arrest of Russian prosecutor

Alexander Ignatenko, who had been placed on the international Interpol list of alleged criminals, was detained on Sunday evening while driving out of the winter resort of Zakopane in southern Poland towards Krakow.

The arrest was made in cooperation with Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW), the country's counterintelligence bureau.

“Officers of the criminal division of the Zakopane police, cooperating in this matter with the ABW, had already suspected that he [Ignatenko] was staying in Zakopane,” said Dariusz Nowak, a spokesman for the police, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) this morning.

Ignatenko reportedly made no attempts to resist the arrest.

Mateusz Martyniuk from the Attorney General's office has said that before extradition to Russia is addressed, Polish courts must formalise the suspect's current detention, in line with a request from Russia.

“The case file has gone to the District Prosecutor's Office in Nowy Sacz [southern Poland],” Martyniuk told PAP.

Alexander Ignatenko was formerly the first deputy prosecutor of the Moscow region. The 53-year-old has been accused of involvement in an illegal gambling ring, likewise of fraud and bribe-taking.

An arrest warrant was issued on 13 July 2011 by a district court in Basmanny, Moscow. (nh/pg)