Russia summons Hermitage Capital founder Browder to indict him for tax evasion
MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax) - The Russian Interior Ministry's Investigative Committee has summoned Hermitage Capital founder William Browder for questioning on suspicion of tax evasion worth over 2 billion rubles, committee spokesperson Irina Dudukina said.
"Hermitage Capital CEO William Browder was summoned to the Interior Ministry's Investigative Committee at 11:00 a.m. Moscow time today to be indicted for tax evasion and questioned on this account as one indicted under this case," Dudukina told Interfax on Thursday.
Browder failed to report to the investigator, "and therefore another attempt will be made to summon him to take part in investigative procedures," Dudukina said.
"If Browder fails to appear again, the investigation will take measures to determine his whereabouts and enforce his visit to the investigator," she said.
"Browder has no restrictions for entering Russia and can obtain a visa easily. Browder is not on the list of individuals whose entry to Russia is restricted," she said.
If Browder reports for questioning, "he, as a foreigner, will be provided with an interpreter," she said.
Failure to report to an investigator for questioning is subject to a fine, in line with Article 118 of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code, Dudukina said.
The Interior Ministry's Investigative Committee had reported earlier that it was conducting a preliminary investigation against Hermitage Capital Management co-founder and CEO William Browder and the investment fund's partner, Ivan Cherkasov, charged with tax evasion.
"Counts of Cherkasov's criminal activities have been uncovered within the framework of the said case. He is responsible for evading the payment of over 2 billion rubles in profit tax to be paid by OOO Kameya," it said.
"The investigation is carrying out the necessary investigative procedures on determining the whereabouts of Cherkasov, who has been accused of having committed a grave crime carrying imprisonment of up to six years," it said.
"Cherkasov has been hiding from preliminary investigative bodies for more than three years and, definitely knowing about his criminal prosecution, has evaded appearing before the investigator," it said.
Criminal prosecution of people from Hermitage Capital was started in Russia in June 2007, when Moscow city police searched the Moscow offices of Hermitage Capital and the law firm Firestone Duncan.
Moscow's Tverskoi Court issued an arrest warrant for Cherkasov on May 4, 2011.
Hermitage Capital auditor Sergei Magnitsky, 37, was accused of tax evasion and placed at the Matrosskaya Tishina pretrial detention center, where he died in November 2009. His death drew broad public response. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into Magnitsky's death on charges of failure to provide assistance to a sick person (Article 124 of the Russian Criminal Code) and negligence (Article 293).