Russian businessman selling assets to pursue political agenda - website.

Text of report by Russian Gazeta.ru news website, often critical of the government, on 29 May

[Report by Yekaterina Gerashchenko: "Roof Blown Off. Lebedev Accuses FSB of Running Protection Racket in Russian Banks, and Sells His Business" - headline puns on sense of 'krysha' (roof) as 'protection racket' and its common colloquial sense in 'podyekhala krysha', 'He's Lost His Marbles']

Businessman Aleksandr Lebedev is withdrawing from his banking, aviation, and real estate development businesses, amalgamating Novaya Gazeta and The Independent, and also handing over airtime on his radio frequency to the BBC's Russian service and Radio Liberty. This is part of Lebedev's political programme, his fellow bankers are convinced.

Businessman Aleksandr Lebedev, who has announced his intention to join Vladimir Putin's All-Russia People's Front, is withdrawing from business. He is holding negotiations on the sale of his Russian banking, aviation, and real estate development assets.

"Anything could happen to me. They have already tried to take away my bank. It is necessary that everything should function by itself," Lebedev told Gazeta.Ru.

Lebedev's assets are consolidated in the National Reserve Corporation [NRK]. The latter contains more than 100 different enterprises.

In the businessman's words, he will not sell everything.

"In the Novyye Media holding company there will be …