On this day, Yukos manipulated users of the Russian Internet

On this day, Yukos manipulated users of the Russian Internet

The homebred sociology of Nevzlin. Reference of the criminal case No18/41-03. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on October 28, 2003.

On this day 20 years ago, on October 28, 2003, the network media outlets, having arrogantly concluded everything was clear for them in the criminal offenses of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, decided to beg off Khodorkovsky from arrest by way of virtual crowd. Actually, the investigation was being carried out by the “entire” Russian Internet (RuNet) during the whole day.

"The portal Mail.ru, as well as information resources Lentu.ru, Gazeta.ru, Utro.ru, Newsru.com, and Vazhno.ru organized on the internet a voting dedicated to a possible reason of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s arrest”, reported participants of the project.

Although the reason for taking Khodorkovsky into custody, and this was mentioned in court while choosing preventive measures for him, was not the even brought in charges under seven Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but a possibility that the defendant could hide abroad from the investigation. And it was obvious, as the witness Khodorkovsky boldly ignored the summoning to an investigator by an official subpoena and continued his regional roadshow. Whereas he not only knew about the summons to the Office of the Prosecutor General but was at an hour flying distance from Moscow. They had to resort to "reconduction” with delivery to the place of demand.

(See also the article “On this day, Khodorkovsky consciously ignored the investigator’s call in for questioning” and the article “On this day, Khodorkovsky was taken off from the plane in Novosibirsk”)

So, the launch of the polling by the unnerved editorial boards from the very outset had signs of manipulation, and its representativeness was covered with obscurity. Like, 12800 users of the Russian segment of the internet took part in this poll.

As the result, answers to the question “What Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested for?” were divided in the following way:

- by way of property redistribution: 36%;

- for political ambitions: 36%;

- for crimes he has been accused of: 21%;

- I don’t know, it’s none of my business: 7%.

And all this homebred “sociology” was embellished with a formative title – “72% of Runet users do not believe that the arrest of Khodorkovsky is connected with crimes he is charged with”.

Still, it would be interesting to look at the same day and by the same audience, if to the scanty inventory the following version would have been included: “For criminal tax evasion, embezzlement and inflicting damage to the country to the amount of 1 billion U.S. dollars”.

The manipulation was rude and explicit. But in such a way the press, bought by Khodorkovsky and Nevzlin, created the necessary backdrop and noise.

“REFERENCE OF THE CRIMINAL CASE No18/41-03”

On the same day, on October 28, 2003, for those who really wanted to understand the essence of the events around Yukos, the Department of information and public relations of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia prepared a detailed reference pertaining to the machinations and tax evasions of the leaders of “Menatep” and Yukos.

The voluminous document entitled “Reference of the criminal case No18/41-03” emerged in the following days on pages of information outlets and in printed media.

The most understandable explanation why Khodorkovsky is a thief: "The acquired spread Khodorkovsky and persons acting with him as part of the organized group have converted for their own use thus inflicted damage to other stockholders, who in such a way were deprived of the right to receive dividends from net profit”.

In this “Reference of the criminal case…” were presented facts and circumstances giving all rights to begin a criminal prosecution of the management of the “most transparent” company in the world wallowed in financial machinations and tax crimes. And, most important of all, the reading of it gave something to reflect upon to business as well to society”, noted the website Prigovor.ru.

(See the previous article: “On this day, billionaire Shakhnovsky acquired a chair of the senator from Evenkia”. Tax dodger and the head of the company "Yukos-Moskva" decided to hide from prosecution in the Federation Council. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on October 27, 2003.

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