Hermitage Capital denies hiring opposition activist Navalny
MOSCOW. June 21 (Interfax) - Prominent Russian anti-corruption blogger and lawyer Alexei Navalny has never represented the Hermitage Capital investment fund's interests, contrary to what a number of media quoted Rosneft President Igor Sechin as saying on Wednesday, Hermitage Capital said in a statement on Thursday.
"The reality is that we have never hired Alexei Navalny for any projects," it said.
Navalny "is undoubtedly a high-class lawyer, but we have our own team," it said.
"We are certainly pleased to learn that some see the 'Hermitage effect' behind any attempt to disclose violations of minority shareholders' rights, theft and corruption. This means that the 10 years that we have worked in Russia, talking about modern approaches to corporate management and company transparency standards and promoting them on the Russian market, have not been in vain," it said.
Hermitage "is closely following Navalny opposing bureaucratic arbitrariness and corruption in a principled and courage way," it said.
"We believe his activities are helpful not only to shareholders of Russian companies but also to all Russian citizens," the statement says.
Rosneft President Sechin was reported having said at an annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday that Navalny might be acting in the interests of Rosneft's competitors. He suggested referring to some media reports that Navalny was a lawyer hired by Hermitage Capital.