Russia’s Federal Tax Service has lodged eight suits against today’s and former holders of Mikhail Gutseriev’s Russneft, Vedomosti reported. The demand of tax bodies is to call null and void the deals with company’s stocks. If the fault of the holders is proved, Russneft stocks will probably go to state ownership.
The suits were filed in late April, but the information has emerged only recently. The defendants in the suits of tax bodies are 11 firms that have once been or still remain Russneft holders. The end owners of the company used the firms to scatter its stocks, tax bodies insist.
The suits haven’t been admitted to court procedures, as there are a number of shortcomings in them, said representative of the Arbitration Court. Russneft declines to comment on tax suits.
In May, however, it became known that Interior Ministry’s investigators accused Mikhail Gutseriev of illegal business activities and enforced the recognizance of not to leave on him. Gutseriev denied all charges he faced.
The prosecutors initiated a criminal case against Russneft subsidiaries far back in November 2006 and detectives searched Russneft offices in early 2007. Top managers of the company were charged with above-limit production of crude oil and with tax evasion. Gutseriev was interrogated as a witness.
Russneft is one of the biggest oil companies of Russia. It unites 30 production enterprises with the 2006 output of 600 million tons. Russneft also owns a chain of petrol stations.
The suits were filed in late April, but the information has emerged only recently. The defendants in the suits of tax bodies are 11 firms that have once been or still remain Russneft holders. The end owners of the company used the firms to scatter its stocks, tax bodies insist.
The suits haven’t been admitted to court procedures, as there are a number of shortcomings in them, said representative of the Arbitration Court. Russneft declines to comment on tax suits.
In May, however, it became known that Interior Ministry’s investigators accused Mikhail Gutseriev of illegal business activities and enforced the recognizance of not to leave on him. Gutseriev denied all charges he faced. The prosecutors initiated a criminal case against Russneft subsidiaries far back in November 2006 and detectives searched Russneft offices in early 2007. Top managers of the company were charged with above-limit production of crude oil and with tax evasion. Gutseriev was interrogated as a witness.
Russneft is one of the biggest oil companies of Russia. It unites 30 production enterprises with the 2006 output of 600 million tons. Russneft also owns a chain of petrol stations.
