This multi-millionaire had a beautiful wife, a string of gay lovers, a budding career as a Hollywood producer, and links to the Kremlin. Then a year ago he vanished -- leaving a web of sordid intrigue behind him. Wanted by prosecutors in Moscow over a bitter business dispute, the Russian-born American multi-millionaire had sought refuge in London. He moved his wife and three-year-old son to Mayfair and liked to lunch at the Wolseley on Piccadilly and dine at Nobu, a trendy Japanese restaurant. He bought a £3m mansion and co-founded the business free sheet City AM. An indefatigable partygoer, Leonid Rozhetskin found London staid compared to Los Angeles, where he had lived briefly after fleeing Russia. But, recall his friends, it was more suitable for his family. And crucially, it was where he felt safest. In mid-March last year, however, Rozhetskin, who had fallen out with a powerful Kremlin insider, felt he had to get away from London and the family for the weekend. Lulled into a false sense of security, he boarded his private jet and headed for Latvia, the former Soviet state. Rozhetskin had not visited his luxury villa on the country's Gulf of Riga for months. Only a three-hour drive to the east, the border with Russia was too close for comfort. But, by now, the murky business dispute that had made him flee Russia was all but resolved. Few people knew he was flying in, and he would only stay for 48 hours. He would be safe, or so he reasoned, and set off without bodyguards.
This multi-millionaire had a beautiful wife, a string of gay lovers, a budding career as a Hollywood producer, and links to the Kremlin. Then a year ago he vanished -- leaving a web of sordid intrigue behind him.
Wanted by prosecutors in Moscow over a bitter business dispute, the Russian-born American multi-millionaire had sought refuge in London. He moved his wife and three-year-old son to Mayfair and liked to lunch at the Wolseley on Piccadilly and dine at Nobu, a trendy Japanese restaurant. He bought a £3m mansion and co-founded the business free sheet City AM.
An indefatigable partygoer, Leonid Rozhetskin found London staid compared to Los Angeles, where he had lived briefly after fleeing Russia. But, recall his friends, it was more suitable for his family. And crucially, it was where he felt safest. In mid-March last year, however, Rozhetskin, who had fallen out with a powerful Kremlin insider, felt he had to get away from London and the family for the weekend. Lulled into a false sense of security, he boarded his private jet and headed for Latvia, the former Soviet state.
Rozhetskin had not visited his luxury villa on the country's Gulf of Riga for months. Only a three-hour drive to the east, the border with Russia was too close for comfort. But, by now, the murky business dispute that had made him flee Russia was all but resolved. Few people knew he was flying in, and he would only stay for 48 hours. He would be safe, or so he reasoned, and set off without bodyguards.
Kumari Mayawati Das, the low-caste champion who became a political star in the run-up to the recent Indian general elections, has become embroiled in fraud allegations, amid accusations that success has gone to her head.
But even that crisis is dwarfed by the scale of the latest disaster to befall the 53-year-old politician. An investigation by the income tax authorities into her vast personal fortune has concluded that she has been dramatically understating the scale of her income for a number of years. As a result, she is now facing a 100m rupees tax bill (£1.25m) after the revenue decided her real income for one year alone [2006-7] was 220m rupees, rather than the 22m she had declared. At the root of the financial inquiry is the question of whether the millions of rupees presented to Mayawati every year by supporters and those seeking favour as "birthday presents" constitute income. The investigators think so and are determined to overturn an earlier decision to grant her tax relief on the "presents". They believe the "presents" amount to income and noted that after her birthday her bank balance swelled significantly.
At the root of the financial inquiry is the question of whether the millions of rupees presented to Mayawati every year by supporters and those seeking favour as "birthday presents" constitute income. The investigators think so and are determined to overturn an earlier decision to grant her tax relief on the "presents". They believe the "presents" amount to income and noted that after her birthday her bank balance swelled significantly.
The band put together to get the Swedish brand guru a girlfriend just completed its summer mini-tour with a gig in Stockholm. The singer has laryngitis, so my daughter stepped in at the last moment. I went along for the ride. You can't be me, I'm taken
