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MegaFon Deal Cleared

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has approved MegaFon's application to buy stakes in mobile content provider VAS Pay and the NewsTube.ru Internet television site from tycoon Alisher Usmanov, Interfax reported Monday, citing the watchdog's website.

MegaFon, which is controlled by Usmanov, is buying 40 percent in VAS Pay and 12.5 percent in NewsTube.ru.

According to VAS Media's website, its main clients are MegaFon, its Tajik subsidiary TT Mobile, and other Usmanov assets such as MUZ-TV, Kommersant, and NewsTube.

According to the SPARK database, Usmanov's VAS Media owns 60 percent of VAS Pay. The other 40 percent is held by two Cyprus-based companies, Media Telecom Holdings and Confectus Holdings.

(MT)

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