Some initiatives of the "civic society" looked like working off of friendly ties and sponsor’s money. In Russia money was coming through the “dump” “The Corbiere Trust”. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on December 9, 2013.
On this day 10 years ago, on December 9, 2013, it became known that Khodorkovsky could face another 7 years in jail. The question was about the so-called "Yukos third case". The press for several years, irrespective of the course of the investigation, had tried to find out “the third Yukos case”, additionally imposing to it anything provided it was connected with Khodorkovsky and Yukos. It was not always successful. More often than not, “the third case" turned out to be simply a part of the first two cases not enough for a separate proceeding. And once more emerged the next underpinning – money laundering through “the third sector”. Once under a “third sector” sociologists defined for themselves a social group of the civil society connected with nongovernmental and non-commercial organizations, and the more scandalous events were expected.
“NOT ONLY FUGITIVE REPRESENTATIVES OF YUKOS”
As a source acquainted with the situation told the news agency "Interfax", "the question is about the legalizing of more than $10 billion stolen, according to the investigation, by the former principals of Yukos in 2005". According to the agency, “in August 2006 from the big Yukos case, initiated in 2003, was separated a new criminal case under Article 174.1 (legalizing or laundering of funds and other property acquired by other persons illegally, committed on a large scale by a group of persons by previous concert), and Article 160 (misappropriation or embezzlement, that is, the stealing of other people’s property entrusted to the convicted person) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This Article 174.1 envisages a punishment up to 7 years imprisonment and is related to the category of grave crimes". "Under the second article, the proceedings, more likely, will be stopped because the expiration of the term of limitation”, pointed out the news agency “Interfax”.
According to the version of the investigation, "a part of the stolen means was used for the financing of amendments to the Russian laws, which were directed to the liberalization of them". In this case, mentioned were not only the fugitive representatives of Yukos but also its foreign managers, “including Bruce Mizamore, the former finance manager of the company, and Steven Theede”. According to the agency, “the Yukos principals used their financial resources for remuneration of various analytical works aiming to show the inconsistency of the leveled charges".
DUBIOUS INITIATIVES
It’s worth noting that the information of the agency contained only a small part of what the inspection, connected with all kinds of efforts of the "civil society" to get Khodorkovsky out of jail.
First of all, the question was about an amnesty – it seemed to some people that Khodorkovsky, thanks to certain efforts, maybe pardoned within the framework of the forthcoming amnesty on the occasion of the XX anniversary of the Russian Constitution. However, the elements of the crime, on which Khodorkovsky was convicted, didn’t imply amnesty. That is why various ideas came up about submitting corrections to the effective laws, like replacement of “extremely grievous crimes” with "middle grievous crimes", as well as about lowering of limitation periods on economic crimes, and it was proposed to make senseless at all articles on money laundering.
It is surprising, but initiatives came mostly from those who were, in general, oriented towards Western legal models, where money laundering and tax evasion are capital sins. And where counteracting to these kinds of crimes is corresponding. Russia, by the way, while creating its instruments to fight, for instance, against money laundering, was guided by criteria and practices in most countries of the world. And the Finance intelligence has been acting in accordance with international standards.
In a nutshell, many initiatives of the “civil society” – activists and NGOs – really looked like working off of friendly ties and sponsor’s money. The investigation, naturally, could not pass by such a strange activity, as the question was about paying for such things with the money that had been siphoned out of Russia illegally. And later, the essence of the investigation version, its final part, became clear.
(See also the article “On this day, in the Yukos case occurred “the Drel casus”. And "The firm Corbiere Trust CO. Ltd bought American politicians and "civil society").
“Money came from the Dutch company “Stichtung Administratiekantoor Yukos International UK B.V.” to which in spring 2005 a part of assets was transferred in order to launder money of the companies under Khodorkovsky's control, and it was made through members of the organized group, hiding abroad from the investigation. Including Andon Drel, Khodorkovsky’s lawyer. Legalized sums “under the guise of donations from foundations and private persons, as well as under the guise of payments for allegedly carried out works and services, now on behalf of the company “The Corbiere Trust” channeled into Russian Andon Drel”. If for short.
THEY DID WITHOUT “THE THIRD CASE”
“However, in 2015, after analyzing all circumstances, the business publications, referring to a regular source familiar with the situation with regards to the notorious “third case”, said that “there are no complaints to the "expert community", and the people who had been involved as witnesses reported about the termination of the investigation. Moreover, it turned out that there was no "third case" at all – the inspection was carried out within the framework of the investigation of the big “Yukos case”. Self-interested motives, as was told, were not established by the investigation. And those who are usually called “agents of influence”, the society is capable to assess by itself”, notes the website Prigovor.ru.
(See the previous article “On this day Khodorkovsky was put on a wanted list”. Khodorkovsky M.B. is accused in absentia under Article 105, paragraph 2. Article 105, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – organizing of murder and attempted murder of two or more persons. The website Prigovor.ru reminds its readers of what happened on December 8, 2015.
