Support The Moscow Times!

Tax Officials Accused by Magnitsky of Stealing $186M Flee Country

Two tax officials accused by former Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky of stealing 5.4 billion rubles ($186 million) in a corruption scheme cannot be questioned in the case because they left the country in May, a newly released Federal Security Service report said.

The FSB report was presented at a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Magnitsky colleague Jamison Firestone against investigators for failing to open probes against government officials accused by Magnitsky of stealing public funds, Interfax reported Tuesday.

The two tax officials mentioned in the FSB report, Olga Tsaryova and Yelena Anisimova, were accused by Magnitsky of stealing $186 million in a tax refund scheme, Firestone's lawyer Alexander Antipov said at the hearing Tuesday.

Tsaryova and Anisimova exited Russia by car in May at a border post in the Belgorod region, the FSB report said. They cannot be served with a summons for questioning in the case because they are not in the country, the report said.

Antipov said at the hearing that Tsaryova and Anisimova bought luxury apartments in Dubai before leaving Russia.

Magnitsky was arrested in 2008 on tax-evasion charges against Hermitage Capital. The 37-year-old died in pretrial detention in 2009 before any charges were filed. While in jail, he was denied treatment for a severe medical condition.

His supporters allege that the case against him was security officials' revenge for accusing tax and police officials of pilfering $230 million in tax funds.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more