Berezovsky's Russian lawyer ''I don't give a damn''

MOSCOW, July 12 (Reuters) Alexander Dudkin may have the worst legal job in Russia: he is the court-appointed lawyer for fugitive Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky.

An outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, Berezovsky is vilified in Russia, where in the past lawyers representing high-profile Kremlin opponents have themselves been put under investigation.

Judging from a newspaper interview published today, Dudkin is taking a hands-off approach to his tricky assignment.

Asked by Izvestia if he found the case interesting, he replied ''Between you and me, I absolutely don't give a damn ... All this is just a formality.'' Asked if he thought he might win the case, Dudkin said: ''Are you kidding? That's impossible.'' Dudkin was ordered by the judge trying Berezovsky in absentia for embezzlement to represent him because the multi-millionaire, who lives in Britain, did not appoint a lawyer of his own.

The case resumes on Thursday after an adjournment to find a lawyer, but Dudkin told Izvestia he had not read the case notes and had no plans to contact his client.

The 62-year-old said his clients were usually vagrants and destitute people who could not afford to hire a lawyer.

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