Guinea says RUSAL owes over $860 mln in taxes

CONAKRY, April 22 (Reuters) - Guinea's mines minister said on Thursday that RUSAL (0486.HK) owes the West African nation at least $860 million in unpaid taxes.

Several months ago, Guinea ordered auditing firm Alex Stewart International to inspect the Russian company's operations in Guinea. "The firm told us that (RUSAL) owes us at least $860 million," Mines Minister Mahmoud Thiam told journalists on Thursday.

RUSAL has a long-standing conflict with Guinea over the purchase of the Figuia refinery, which Conakry says RUSAL paid too little for. (Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by David Gregorio)