Putin’s friend Prigozhin accuses Washington of trying to abduct him
Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is linked to the Russian private military company the Wagner Group, said that the U.S. authorities are planning to abduct him.
"Evgeny Prigozhin appealed to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation with a statement about his attempted abduction by U.S. citizens who are members of an organized criminal group," reads the statement of the Concord group controlled by Prigozhin.
According to the businessman, the fact that Washington put him on a wanted list and offered a reward for information leading to his arrest shows that U.S. authorities want to abduct him.
Prigozhin believes that the monetary reward promised by the FBI motivates others to assist in his abduction. He noted that his life is in danger.
The businessman added that his persecution by the American authorities is politically motivated, as he did not commit crimes either in Russia or in other countries.
Because of this Prigozhin has asked the Russian Investigative Committee to open a criminal case against the director of the FBI, the President of the United States, the director of the CIA and the U.S. Secretary of Justice under article 30 (preparation for a crime), article 126 (abduction of a person organized by a criminal group) and article 127 (human trafficking).
In February, the FBI put Yevgeny Prigozhin on a wanted list. The agency promised $250,000 for information that could help in the arrest of the businessman.
In 2018, the U.S. imposed sanctions against 33 Russian citizens, including Prigozhin.
Yevgeny Prigozhin is known as “Putin’s chef”, since amongst other things, he deals with food supplies for the Russian authorities. The businessman met the Russian president in 2011 when, as the owner of an elite restaurant, he personally served Vladimir Putin and former French President Jacques Chirac.