Russian suspected child-abuse pianist returns to Moscow (2nd Roundup)

Jul 8, 2010, 17:45 GMT

Bangkok/Moscow - A Russian pianist charged with raping a 14- year-old boy in Thailand arrived back in Moscow Thursday after being allowed to return home for a concert, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev left Thailand for Moscow via Dubai early Thursday despite charges of raping a 14-year-old boy that require him to return within 12 days, officials said.

The 53-year-old performer denies the charges.

'After the completion of my performance I intend to return there again and see this matter to its conclusion. I hope that Thai justice and the court system will be equal to the occasion,' he said.

'I can say directly that I committed no kind of crime,' he added.

Pletnev - a renowned pianist, composer and founder of the Russian National Orchestra - was arrested Monday in Pattaya, a beach resort 100 kilometres south-east of Bangkok, on charges of raping the Thai boy.

He was released Tuesday on bail of 300,000 baht (9,375 dollars) and ordered to report to court every 12 days.

Pattaya court, which initially barred Pletnev from leaving the country, later agreed to his lawyers' request that he could leave on the condition he return by July 18, police said.

'This is a very strange case,' Pattaya Immigration Police Colonel Arthitsawit Kamonrat said. He said it was odd that police at Pattaya's Bang Lamung district, where Pletnev was arrested, did not object to his request for bail and permission to leave the country.

'Now we will have to wait until July 18 to see if he's jumped bail or not,' Arthitsawit said in a telephone interview with the German Press Agency dpa.

Pletnev, a part-time resident in Pattaya where he owned several houses, has been under investigation for child abuse by police and children rights groups for months, police said. A 14-year-old Thai boy was willing to testify that Pletnev abused him, police said.

'I'm very sure he won't come back to Thailand,' said Supagon Noja, a spokeswoman for the Child Rights Protection Group in Chonburi province, where Pattaya is located.

The musician claimed he was innocent. If found guilty of raping a minor, Pletnev faces up to 20 years in jail.

According to Pattaya-based child-protection groups, the pianist had a history of child abuse at the resort, which is notorious for its nightlife and prostitution.

'We've been working on his case with the police for a long time now and finally had him arrested,' Supagon said, 'and he's gotten away so easily.'