Instead of going to interrogation, the perky merchant "went to common people" at the Nizhniy Novgorod's trade fair. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on October 24, 2003.
On this day 20 years ago, on October 24, 2003, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia awaited for interrogation the citizen Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky. According to the notice paper calling for interrogation, the mentioned person had to come "on October 24, 2003, at noon, to the Department of investigation of major cases of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation at the address – Moscow, Tekhnichesky side street, H. 2, office No 512, to the investigator S.K. Karimov to be interrogated as a witness”. Khodorkovsky did not turn up, and instead of that he went to the trade fair.
THE LAST ROAD TOUR
Khodorkovsky knew as early as October 20, 2003, that a repeated converse with interrogators of the Office of the Prosecutor General was awaited him. He knew I, since he publicly reacted to this news. Khodorkovsky informed he would “with pleasure” answer all questions of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation in case of a repeated call for interrogation. It is logical to assume that, as the invitation is voiced, the call to investigators, in due form, with a subpoena, will be made in the nearest future. And the necessity was obvious to adjust his working duty chart so that be capable, with pleasure, to come and answer questions of the investigation, at least in the format “here remember, here don’t remember”.
However, Khodorkovsky organized a regional road tour – Lipetsk, Saransk, Nizhny Novgorod. Against the background of the whole series of criminal cases and investigative actions with regard the employees of the subordinated to Khodorkovsky company – it was a very “convenient” time to communicate with the regions, to tell them about “transparent” Yukos, sponsor projects, and declare that "the accusations against Vassily Shakhnovsky are ridiculous”.
It has to be said, that it was not that funny for Shakhnovsky himself. The sum of tax evasion presented to him amounted to 29 million rubles. Taking into account penalties and fines, the sum, “on the average”, made up 53 million 366 thousand rubles. The analog formula of accusation also hung over Khodorkovsky – tax machinations had been cooked up by the whole Yukos leadership. And Khodorkovsky knew that perfectly well.
THE PERKY MERCHANT RUN THROUGH THE PREMISES OF THE TRADE FAIR
The notice paper was drawn up for the noon October 24, 2003, and at that time Khopdorkovsky was in Nizhny Novgorod – a bit more than one hour flight to Moscow on board of a personal plane. But instead of cutting the time of the visit, instead of operative returning to Moscow and visiting the Office of the Prosecutor General at the allocated day or next day (lawyers together with investigators at the request of the client, could easily have adjusted the time and could have indicated an acceptable reason of failing to appear at the fixed time thus pointing out the law obedience of their client), the tax swindler Khodorkovsky at 7 p.m. October 24, popped up at the trade fair in Nizhny Novgorod where the event “Russian Forum – 2003” was taking place. In such a way, Khodorkovsky disregarded the warning outlined in the last paragraph of the subpoena, where, regarding Article 113 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, Khodorkovsky was notified about a possibility of compulsory attendance. Compulsory attendance means a coercive conveyance to inquiry bodies of a person who refuses to appear on summons.
THE PRESS TALKED ROUND THE LIE OF MIKHAIL BORISOVICH KHODORKOVSKY
As a matter of fact, around this notice paper, the obedient to Yukos press organized a real show. It consisted of accent shifting and substitution of the meaning of what was happening. In this notice paper, typing errors were found, as well as other clerical omissions typical for the monotonous filling up of single-type documents. The website "Gazeta.ru" capable of mixing up dates and indicating wrong months of events, was rhapsodizing around a missed letter in the word “witness”.
As to the website “Lebta.ru”, it captures in this a whole “signal”, which Salavat Karimov sent to Khodorkovsky – like, “Karimov tried to warn Khodorkovsky of a forthcoming prison stint”.
Later, Karimov himself explained that subpoenas are filled by staffers, and he only certifies them with his signature. “It was a misprint, not mine, but of an employee, at that. It was not me who drew the subpoena”. Yes, I signed it, but try to imagine – when 15-20 investigators render procedural decisions, you do not read yourself thoroughly in a printed text – a letter is missing or not missing. So, it’s a myth that it was written by my hand, all this is more for lip service”.
However, a show was organized. Khodorkovsky consciously ignored investigators, and after the agitation campaign at the trade fair in Nizhniy Novgorod, he directed his plane not to Moscow, but Novosibirsk…
P.S. Time shows that people considering themselves infallible prophets, commit the same mistake – after having played pranks, they risk one’s neck. In such a manner, Lyosha Navalny flew back from Germany with the proved criminal baggage. In such a way, Mikho Saakashvili returned to Georgia. And all this began in October 2003 with Khodorkovsky, who, having stolen billions (proved by the court), decided to teach the country integrity and "transparency", notes the website Prigovor.ru.
(See also the previous article “On this day, under the party “Yabloko” a trove with compromising evidence against Yukos was found”. The search in the public-relations company "Agency of Strategic Communications". Why a deputy from "Yabloko" hung in a window. Ownerless $700 thousand. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on October 23, 2003.
