Russian conductor rejects Thai rape charges

Famed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev, charged in Thailand with raping a 14-year-old boy, has left the country and is believed to be heading to Moscow, an airline official said Thursday.Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was granted permission by a Thai court Wednesday to travel overseas but is required to report back to court every 12 days.He flew out of Thailand on an Emirates flight which left Bangkok at 2:40 am (1940 GMT Wednesday) for Dubai, a spokeswoman for the carrier said.

A Thai court Wednesday granted permission for Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev to leave the country temporarily following his arrest on charges of raping a 14-year-old boy, a spokesman said."The court allowed him to leave the country temporarily after he sought permission," said a judiciary official in Pattaya, where the Grammy award-winning musician was arrested.Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was released Tuesday after he posted 300,000 baht (9,300 dollars) bail. He is required to report back to court in Thailand every 12 days.

Acclaimed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev appeared in court Monday in Thailand where he has been charged with raping a teenage boy.Pletnev, artistic director of the Russian National Orchestra, returned to Thailand over the weekend after being allowed to leave the country temporarily to attend a music festival in Macedonia."I have always stated that I will assist the police in every way I can with their enquiries into the allegations that have been made against me," Pletnev said in a statement to media outside the court in the resort town of Pattaya.

Famed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev has been charged in Thailand with raping a boy aged under 15, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, Thai police said Wednesday.Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was released Tuesday after he posted 300,000 baht (9,300 dollars) bail following his arrest the same day in the Thai resort of Pattaya."He was initially charged with raping a boy under 15 which carries a jail term of four to 20 years," Lieutenant Colonel Omsin Sukkanka told AFP.

Famed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev has been charged in Thailand with raping a boy aged under 15, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, Thai police said Wednesday.Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was released Tuesday after he posted 300,000 baht (9,300 dollars) bail following his arrest the same day in the Thai resort of Pattaya."He was initially charged with raping a boy under 15 which carries a jail term of four to 20 years," Lieutenant Colonel Omsin Sukkanka told AFP.

Acclaimed Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev appeared in court Monday in Thailand where he has been charged with raping a teenage boy.Pletnev, artistic director of the Russian National Orchestra, returned to Thailand over the weekend after being allowed to leave the country temporarily to attend a music festival in Macedonia."I have always stated that I will assist the police in every way I can with their enquiries into the allegations that have been made against me," Pletnev said in a statement to media outside the court in the resort town of Pattaya.

Grammy-award-winning Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev has been charged in Thailand with raping a 14-year-old boy, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in jail, police said Wednesday.Pletnev, artistic director of the acclaimed Russian National Orchestra, was released Tuesday after he posted 300,000 baht (9,300 dollars) bail following his arrest in the Thai resort of Pattaya."He was initially charged with raping a boy under 15 which carries a jail term of four to 20 years," Lieutenant Colonel Omsin Sukkanka told AFP.

A Thai court on Friday extended bail granted to Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev, who has been charged with raping a 14-year-old boy, his lawyer said.Pletnev, artistic director of the Russian National Orchestra, denies the accusation, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in jail.He was released in early July after posting 300,000 baht (9,300 dollars) bail.