Canberra ducks on dictator’s Melbourne Cup bid

The Rudd government has ducked on any responsibility for Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's entry of horses in the Spring Carnival.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown asked if the government was aware that the British trainer of Mourilyan (entered in the Melbourne Cup) and Bankable (expected to run in the Emirates Stakes), Gary Banks, has been questioned by the British Horseracing Authority about links with the brutal dictator.

Mr Kadyrov is accused of involvement in breaches of human rights including torture in Chechnya, and assassination of political opponents abroad.

"The government should not have allowed these horses into Australia. The prospect of gold cups and millions of dollars being repatriated by Kadyrov to buy more Lamborghinis in Chechnya is pretty grim," Senator Brown said.

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