Russian police raid office of richest woman

Crack forces raided the office of Russia’s richest woman on Thursday in a probe linked to emergency funds she received from a bank founded by the deposed mayor of Moscow — who is also her husband.
Yelena Baturina called the police sweep a political provocation that had nothing to do with the loan her Inteko construction company received in a complicated scheme from the Bank of Moscow.

“I know for certain that these searches have no relation to either our company or the Bank of Moscow,” Interfax quoted Baturina as saying.

“This is simply an ordered (raid) and a form of (political) pressure,” she added.

Gun-toting policemen in masks later also searched the offices of the Bank of Moscow and apartments of several of its executives.