South Africa asks U.S. to arrest Atlanta Bread Co. official

<p>South African authorities have asked U.S. officials to arrest Atlanta Bread Co. executive Basil Couvaras and bring him to South Africa, where he faces fraud charges.</p><p>An arrest warrant issued last month in Johannesburg, South Africa, accuses Couvaras, who is Atlanta Bread Co.'s chief operating officer, of committing fraud and theft while he lived in South Africa.</p><p>Couvaras has been sought for months by South African officials, who arrested his brother, Jerry Couvaras, in March. Jerry Couvaras, Atlanta Bread Co.'s president and chief executive, has been charged with fraud after about 2,000 South Africans lost millions in an investment scheme that collapsed in the early 1990s.</p><p>Basil Couvaras "must come back here to resolve this matter," said Beverley Edwards, the South African prosecutor handling the case. "You can't just steal a lot of money from South Africans."</p><p>But U.S. authorities have not moved as quickly as South African officials would have liked, Edwards said.</p><p>"There seems to be a reluctance to arrest," Edwards said.</p><p>FBI officials confirmed Tuesday they have received a warrant for Basil Couvaras' arrest and are working with South African authorities.</p><p>"I have been working with them in their attempt to get the FBI's cooperation," said Michael Bonner, a liaison in the FBI's Pretoria, South Africa, office.</p><p>A spokesman with the FBI's Atlanta office, said they have been contacted about the case but would not comment further.</p><p>Jane Langley, a spokeswoman for Couvaras, said she was not aware of the warrant and could not comment. Couvaras has remained in the Atlanta area.</p><p>The Atlanta Bread Co. was founded in Atlanta in 1993 with one restaurant. It quickly grew into a chain with more than 160 restaurants in 24 states with systemwide-revenue last year of $215 million. The company has 5,000 employees, though many of the restaurants are franchise-owned.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x2866728)</p>

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