COURT HEARING ON GUSINSKY'S EXTRADITION TO RUSSIA SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 8 POSTPONED








MADRID, March 8 /RIA Novosti correspondent Juan Kobo/ - The court hearing on the extradition of the head of Media-Most holding company, Vladimir Gusinsky, scheduled for March 8, has been postponed. 


	According to information of the Spanish news agency EFE, the new date of the case examination is expected to be appointed today by the Spanish National Criminal Court. 


	Sources report that the commencement of the court hearing was delayed because Gusinsky's Spanish lawyers have not yet submitted the relevant documents in response to the representation from chief prosecutor of the Spanish National Criminal Court Eduardo Fungairino. 


	The chief prosecutor submitted to the National Criminal Court a written representation on the consideration of the case of Gusinsky's extradition. The representation says that in Russia the media magnate is charged with fraud amounting to 40 billion pesetas and that the whole case involves an economic rather than a political crime; that is why, there is no political motivation in Russia's request for Gusinsky's extradition. 


	Fungairino listed in detail the charges of gross fraud brought by the Russian justice against Gusinsky. Due to the fact that this crime is also considered as grave in Spain and is punished with imprisonment for up to 8 years, this, as the chief prosecutor stressed, gives all grounds to extradite him to the Russian judicial authorities. 


	Today is the deadline for Gusinsky's lawyers to submit materials in response to the chief prosecutor's representation. (fed/vld)