He is accused of laundering several million dollars in commission payments through Swiss banks while he managed the Kremlin's financial and property affairs in the 1990s, and of participation in a criminal organisation. The former head of the presidential administration under Boris Yeltsin was extradited from the US after he dropped a protracted New York court battle, claiming that he wanted to clear his name. Mr Borodin, who still holds public office as head of the Russia-Belarus Union, was arrested in the US on an international warrant last January, sparking a diplomatic row between Washington and Moscow. The Russian authorities are adamant that he has not broken the law in Russia. Although the Russians triggered the investigation three years ago which the Swiss subsequently trailed to Mr Borodin, they now claim they have no evidence of anything suspicious, a decision the Geneva prosecutor feels was politically motivated.
Swiss judges complain of insufficient resources.
Money-laundering investigators recruited in recent years have quit their jobs in frustration at the obstacles they face. However, some of the evidence which was leaked last year suggests that a trial, if it goes ahead, would be embarrassing for the Russian regime regardless of the outcome. Fourteen other suspects, mainly Russian associates, are under investigation in Switzerland. Four of them are facing similar charges to those made against Mr Borodin.