Russian authorities have announced new charges against the US-born British financier William Browder – another twist in a highly politicised case that has seen the Kremlin tirelessly go after one of its most vocal international critics.

On Monday, prosecutors in Moscow accused Browder of organising a “transnational criminal group” and claimed he may have poisoned Sergei Magnitsky, the lawyer who uncovered huge government-linked fraud and died in prison. Browder has accused Russian prison officials of causing Magnitsky’s death. Prosecutors said the charges carried a potential 20-year sentence. The move would increase unease about the prospect of a Russian candidate taking over Interpol, the international police agency. The Sunday Times reported that British officials believe Alexander Prokopchuk, a 56-year-old veteran of the Russian interior ministry, was likely to be elected the next secretary general of the organisation during its general assembly this week. It comes after Interpol’s Chinese head Meng Hongwei resigned in October. China’s anti-corruption authorities have been investigating him.(theguardian)…[+]