Moscow prosecutors summon TNK-BP CEO

MOSCOW, July 26 (Reuters) - Moscow prosecutors have summoned the chief executive of BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Russian joint venture TNK-BP to appear on Monday for questioning over compliance with labour laws, the firm said on Saturday.

A TNK-BP spokesman said representatives for CEO Robert Dudley would visit the prosecutors' office to answer questions on Monday because Dudley had left Russia on Thursday.

Dudley left after he failed to renew his visa as part of a bigger row between BP and its four Russian-connected billionaire partners over management control and strategy at Russia's third-largest oil producer.

The spokesman quoted a letter sent by a Moscow prosecutor to Dudley saying the prosecutor's office had completed a check initiated by an industrial trade union over TNK-BP's compliance with the labour code. The letter said the check had discovered that Dudley had violated labour legislation.

Dudley's involvement in legal investigations is part of problems faced by TNK-BP in recent months, which have included a dispute between BP, which owns half of the firm, and a group of Russian-connected oligarchs, which owns the other half.

The two sides have clashed publicly during the past few months over the company's strategy and management tactics, with the Russian side accusing BP of infringing their interests and demanding the BP-nominated chief executive quit.

Dudley has said he would continue to manage the company from outside Russia. (Reporting by Tanya Mosolova; Editing by Stephen Weeks)