Latvian police deny body found

RIGA- Latvian law enforcement authoritieshave not confirmed reports that the body of Russian-born USbusinessman Leonid Rozhetskin has been found in a forest in the outskirts of Riga.

Rozhetskin went missing from his vacation home in Latvia'sseaside resort city Jurmala in March and has been unaccounted for since then.

Ieva Reksna, a spokeswoman for the Latvian State Police, flatly deniedinformation posted on Russia'sKommersant.ru website that Rozhetskin's body has been found and that DNA testsare under way to identify the body.

Citing sources in Latvia'slaw enforcement, the Russian website reported that the features of the dead manfound in a forest outside Rigasuggested that this was the missing millionaire and that DNA tests had beenordered to confirm his identity. The man found in the forest was said to havedied from a wound inflicted to his head.

Rozhetskin, 41, was born in Russiabut moved to the USin 1980 where he studied law and received UScitizenship. In the early 1990s he returned to his native land to take part inthe foundation of the Renaissance Capital bank.

His investment company LV Finance used to own one fourth of Russia'sthird largest mobile operator MegaFon. He was also a vice-president of RussianNorilsk Nickel metal works company. Lately Rozhetskin has been engaged in Hollywood'smovie business and a publishing business in London.

Rozhetskin is also known for his criticism of Russian President VladimirPutin.