Businessman returns after five months in German jail

Businessman Zunaid Moti (44) has returned home after spending five months in a German jail. The Star reports his release follows the cancellation of an arrest warrant issued in Russia last month. He was released on Saturday. Although Interpol exonerated Moti of any wrongdoing in November, he remained locked up in Germany. Moti was stopped from leaving Germany in August 2018 and placed under provisional detention by German authorities acting on a Diffusion Notice first issued in Russia in December 2017. They alleged that this was at the request of a known Russian Mafia figure, who resides in Dubai. It was alleged that the Mafia had twice attempted to have Moti detained through a Red Notice in Lebanon in January 2017 and in Moscow via a Diffusion Notice in January last year. The Russians accused him of defrauding one of its nationals, Alibek Issaev, out of R6.6m in an alleged bogus mining deal. However, Interpol was believed to have dismissed both notices. Cherie Blair QC, Moti’s legal representative based in London, said Interpol needed to guard against the abuse of its policies by mischievous individuals. ‘This is the latest worrying example in a growing list of instances where international law enforcement mechanisms have been suborned for political or personal vendettas,' said Blair.

Full report in The Star