Court papers contradict claims that the probe against the Telegram CEO was launched in July, Politico has reported
France issued arrest warrants against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolay, the co-founder of the messaging app, in March, months earlier than officials previously claimed, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Durov was taken into custody last Saturday in a surprise move, which French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed was not political. The Russian businessman has the citizenship of several nations, including France, the UAE, and St. Kitts and Nevis. He is accused of complicity in serious crimes allegedly committed with the help of Telegram and failure to cooperate with French authorities in investigating them.
The arrest warrants were issued on March 25, after Telegram gave “no answer” to a judicial request sent by French investigators earlier, French documents leaked to Politico by an insider said. The initial inquiry…