MOSCOW, February 4 - RAPSI. Eskerkhan Mutalibov, a former Transaero Airlines shareholder, who claims that his 5% stake in the airline was fraudulently taken from him, has asked Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble to investigate the case, the Izvestia newspaper reported.

Mutalibov has assessed the damages he would be entitled to at 30.5 million euro.

He has asked the Interpol head to seize Transaero's aircraft and other property in the EU countries, to block Transaero CEO Alexander Pleshakov's bank assets and to prohibit him from entering EU countries.

According to Izvestia, the Interpol General Secretariat Headquarters in Lyon received the lawsuit in late January. However, the Interpol office in the Russian Interior Ministry has no information to this effect, said its official spokesman, Dmitry Yershov. Transaero said it only learned of the lawsuit from Izvestia.

Eskerkhan Mutalibov moved to the UK 18 years ago and last visited Russia in 2003. He found out that his shares were written off in 2004 and eventually became Pleshakov's property as a result of a series of transactions only when he decided to sell his family business in Russia.

Previously, the Moscow Commercial Court dismissed Mutalibov's lawsuit to recover $50.04 million from the airline. Registrars Reestr and Computershare Registrar were involved as co-defendants.

According to the Transaero shareholders list, Mutalibov held 5% of the airline's shares in May 2003. However, he was not on the list drawn up for the next annual general meeting in May 2004. Mutalibov reportedly wrote in his claim that he neither sold his shares, nor signed any sale documents, and that he never received any money for his stake.

Transaero was established in 1990, has a fleet of 76 aircraft and operates flights to over 160 destinations in Russia, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
Transaero's stock has been traded on the MICEX since March 29, 2011.

Alexander and Olga Pleshakov directly control 43% of Transaero shares. Head of the Interstate Aviation Committee Tatyana Anodina holds a 3% stake, Lev Khasis owns 6.48% and Transaero Finance 4.23% of the company. According to Russian Accounting Standards, Transaero's net profit more than tripled in 2011 to 1.83 billion rubles ($57.08 million).