Ex-Yukos chief derides charges

Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has dismissed criminal charges brought against him as "absurd". In his first comments at his trial, the ex-chief of oil giant Yukos said there was no evidence he had evaded taxes. He also said that accusations that he had fraudulently acquired companies were illogical.

Mr Khodorkovsky, who could face 10 years in jail, responded to prosecution claims that he was part of a "criminal group" which stole state property.

Mr Khodorkovsky's co-defendant and business associate Platon Lebedev also dismissed charges against him and said the prosecutors' case was "fabricated".
"I'll be seeking justice until I'll exhaust all the means of defence available in Russia's legal system," Mr Lebedev said.
"By using my rights, I'll appeal to all courts, including the European human rights court."
The trial was adjourned to Tuesday.
Politically motivated
Mr Khodorkovsky, who has been in jail since his arrest last October, said he would offer proof of his innocence.

His comments in court were his first formal response to the charges being brought against him, BBC Moscow correspondent Damian Grammaticas said.
The trial of Russia's richest man is not related to Yukos, the oil giant he was formerly in charge of, but is about a fertilizer factory which was privatised in 1992.
"I have been accused of theft of shares of the Apatit [fertiliser] company and UIF research institute, but I shall prove that attempts to put on me the blame for mistakes made during the arrangement of privatization are absurd," he said.
"In essence, I have been accused of putting money from one of my pockets to another, which is illogical, as both these enterprises factually belong to me," he said.
"They are accusing me of not paying taxes but I will prove this absurd."
His lawyers said the case against him is politically motivated to punish him for challenging the authority of Russia's government,
The authorities insist they are simply cracking down on corruption, Mr Grammaticas said.
No deal
Mr Khodorkovsky also dismissed separate claims that Yukos, in which he is a major shareholder, had tried to evade taxes.

In parallel with Mr Khodorkovsky's criminal trial, Yukos is being asked for at least $3.4bn in apparently unpaid taxes - the result, the authorities say, of massive tax evasion at the beginning of this decade.
The firm has tried various options for cutting a deal on its taxes, including distancing itself somewhat from Mr Khodorkovsky.
But the state has proved reluctant to compromise, and Yukos fears it could be driven into bankruptcy.
 
HERE