Supporters of Mikhail Khodorkovsky hold a rally at the Meshchansky court.
Photo: Alexey Kudenko
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Heads of YUKOS’s Subsidiary Suspected of Money Laundry
Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal case against executives of Tomskneft-VNK on money laundry charges. The company’s top managers are suspected of misappropriating 6.5 billion rubles and 1 million tons of oil. Tomskneft declined to comment on the reports so far. Tomsk regional authorities suppose that the case was initiated to bring down the company’s cost before its sale.
The criminal case was opened on suspicion of misappropriation and money laundry. Investigators say that the company’s executives embezzled 6.5 billion rubles in January-July this year. As a cover, they knowingly signed unprofitable deals with Moscow-based firms.
The largest part of the funds spent on the deals was supposed to go to tax officials to clear earlier debts of Tomskneft, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement posted on its official web-site.
In addition, heads of Tomsneft are charged with misappropriation of oil. Investigators say that Tomsneft sold more than 1 million tons of oil at wittingly low prices to Samara-based Rekma from April 2005 to January 2006. Investigators estimate that managers of YUKOS’s subsidiary brought 8 billion ruble damage to their company.
Tomskneft was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Lawyers, engaged in YUKOS trials, do not rule out that the Prosecutor General’s Office came up with the charges against Tomskneft after the company had proved unwilling to cooperate with authorities in Svetlana Bakhmina case. The company would not admit at the trial that the YUKOS official caused damage to Tomskneft.
Tomsk Region’s administration believes that the case was opened to drive down the price of the asset before the sale. “Apparently, the same scheme as with Yuganskneftegaz is used here,” Alexander Adam, head of the environment and natural resources department, said.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 20, 2006
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