Thai court allows Russia`s Pletnev to leave country

HANOI, July 7 (Itar-Tass) -- The Thai court has allowed
internationally acclaimed Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev,
who faces child molestation charges, to leave the country and bound him to
be back by July 18, an official from the Russian embassy in Thailand said
on Wednesday.
"The court has allowed Pletnev to leave the country to take part in a
tour from July 8 through 18, as he asked," Andrei Dvornikov, head of the
embassy's consular department, told Itar-Tass.
According to Dvornikov, the court allowed the Pletnev, who is the
conductor of the Russian National Orchestra, to join his orchestra on a
tour. The tour program was translated into the Thai language and submitted
to the court to substantiate his plea to be let out of Thailand. The court
also ruled to pay from 200,000 to 500,000 baht ($16,000) more in a bail.
In his words, official in the Russian embassy in Bangkok, and the
consulate in Pattaya are in touch with Thai police and offer their legal
and consular assistance to the Russia pianist.
Pletnev, the founder of the Russian National Orchestra, was charged on
Tuesday with raping a 14-year-old boy and appearing in compromising
photographs with several others. He was released on a 300,000 baht
($9,000) bail. Thai police said they had received a tip-off from a
detained Thai man who was involved in a prostitution ring. More
information was received from the child's parents, the child himself and
other witnesses, police maintained.
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