DUSHANBE, June 6, Asia-Plus - The United Company RUSAL (Russian Aluminum) denies all accusations brought against it by Talco (Tajik Aluminum Company) as unfounded, Aleskandr Kasatkin, a spokesman for the RUSAL local office in Dushanbe, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.   

According to him, RUSAL has never promised compensations to TadAZ (formerly Talco) for damage caused by disadvantageous business conditions imposed “as it is state in press release issued by Talco.”  

“RUSAL has no any debts to TadAZ,” said Kasatkin, “UC RUSAL and all its branches have provided considerable support to the plant over the past several years, but we have not received any payments for our efforts.”  

The RUSAL local office in Dushanbe believes that accusations brought by Talco against RUSAL and its branches do not have any chance to be considered in court.  

We will recall that The State Unitary Enterprise Tajik Aluminum Company issued press release on June 4, in which it says that it has filed suit in the High Court in London against the United Company RUSAL.

According to press release, the company has launched a claim for $500 million for alleged involvement of RUSAL and its branches in frauds between 1996 and 2004.  

 Press release said that the company had revealed cases of illegal payments in an amount of several millions US dollars to Abduqodir Ermatov and members of his family.  According to the company administration, these payments were made for the purpose of fraud and the company administration supposes that the RUSAL top managers were aware of those relations and used that fact in interest of RUSAL, press release said.   

According to press release, the company has established that RUSAL and its branches encouraged actions aimed against interest of Talco, participating in them through delivery of alumina and other raw materials at too high prices and purchase of aluminum at large discounts.

Press release also noted that firstly, RUSAL had pledged itself to pay compensations for losses Talco had incurred as a result of disadvantageous conditions imposed on it.  “But later, RUSAL has broken its promise and TadAZ had no to appeal.”   As a result of fraud, Talco incurred hundreds of millions US dollars’ worth of losses, according to press release.