Russian man arrested over Artem Uss escape

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 14 - A Russian man residing in Switzerland has been arrested in relation to the case of Russian businessman Artem Uss, who fled house arrest in Italy in March 2023 before he could be extradited to the United States.
    Uss, the son of a former Siberian governor and oil magnate close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, broke his ankle tag while under house arrest in Basiglio, near Milan, and escaped back to Russia after a Milan court had approved his extradition to the US, where he is wanted on numerous charges.
    He is said to have exploited an international network of contacts, including a Serbian criminal gang, in order to get away.
    Uss had been arrested in Italy at the request of the United States on October 17, 2022, and transferred to prison before a three-judge panel of the Milan court approved his request to be moved to house arrest.
    The US embassy in Rome reportedly asked the Italian authorities to reconsider because of the risk of escape, but the justice ministry replied that the jurisdiction rested with the courts.
    The affair caused friction between the ministry and the judiciary and prompted Premier Giorgia Meloni to say the government would clear up "anomalies".
    The arrested man, Dimitry Chirakadze, 54, is suspect of having planned the escape.
    He is thought to have been the superior of the gang that actually helped Uss get away, three of whom have been arrested.
    (ANSA).