Four Russian billionaires, forming the Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR) consortium, which holds a 50% overall stake in the joint venture demanded in May that TNK-BP CEO Robert Dudley resign, accusing him of putting the British oil major's interests first.

BP, which holds the other 50% stake in the company, backed Dudley saying they had f

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ull confidence in his leadership.

Stan Polovets said the consortium would turn to the Russian courts to protest against a TNK-BP board of directors meeting on June 3, which he said was illegal as no Russian shareholders had been present.

Polovets said the Russian group would seek to have the directors taking part in the meeting stripped of their powers.

He said AAR would also lodge a separate suit with the Stockholm Court demanding the cancellation of a TNK-BP agreement on foreign employees. The consortium accused BP of using too many foreigners in management positions in the Moscow office instead of sending them to work in the field.

"We will be asking the International Arbitration Court in Stockholm to declare the secondment agreement null and void," Polovets said.

BP recalled 148 employees in Russia over alleged visa problems in March. The move came amid mounting pressure on the company after a police raid on its Moscow office and the joint venture, and the arrest of an employee on industrial espionage charges.

Authorities in Moscow are currently conducting a probe into alleged violations of labor and migration laws by TNK-BP, as well as TNK's tax arrears in 2001-2003, before the venture was created.

Analysts have suggested the dispute could result in the company being bought up by state-controlled Gazprom or Rosneft as part of the Kremlin's campaign to toughen its grip on the oil and gas sector.

MOSCOW, June 11 (RIA Novosti)