Russian Aluminium Magnate, Michael Cherney, and Key Witness Against Him in Spanish Court Case, Jalol Khaydarov, Seen Together in Tel Aviv, Reports the Izrus News Service

TEL AVIV, Israel, February 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Cherney and Jalol Khaydarov have been witnessed talking together amicably in the Tel Aviv Hilton on 23 January 2011, despite Khaydarov's involvement in a Spanish court case against Cherney, reports deputy editor of Russian-Israeli news website, Izrus.

The "warm exchange" witnessed by Izrus deputy editor, Alexander Goldenshteyn, ended with a friendly handshake after over an hour of cordial conversation. The exchange between the two men comes in light of Khaydarov's allegations published in Palabra de Vor: Las mafias rusas en Espana, in which Khaydarov alleges that Cherney personally threatened his life. Khaydarov has also made this claim to reporters from Spanish newspaper ABC, and has also accused Cherney of being part of the Russian mafia, heading the Izmailovo Crime group with Oleg Deripaska and Iskander Makhmudov. Cherney has always denied all the claims made against him.

In 2008, the Swiss Supreme Court ruled that all suspicions against Cherney were unfounded, following a ten year investigation by the Swiss Attorney's office into Cherney's alleged links with organised crime. In May 2010, a Swiss court awarded Cherney substantial compensation for the lengthy investigation. The State Court of Delaware also rejected a claim made by Khaydarov against Cherney in November 2004.

The claim against Cherney by the Spanish Attorney General's office is that Cherney acquired property in Catalonia with dirty money. The allegation is based entirely on Khaydarov's testimony, and there are now serious questions about the reliability of Khaydarov's allegations of threats made against his life by Cherney, following his and Cherney's friendly conversation in Tel Aviv.

Israeli reporters have since contacted Michael Cherney's lawyers in Israel and confirmed the meeting between Cherney and Khaydarov, adding that Mr. Khaydarov had been seeking a meeting with Mr. Cherney for some time.