Tycoon Mikhail Gutseriyev, who was wanted in Russia on charges of tax evasion, has been acquitted in absentia, his lawyer said Tuesday.
“In accordance with the decree of the Supreme Arbitration Court, the findings of the Constitutional Court and the forensic examinations carried out, Mr. Gutseriyev has been cleared of all charges against him,” Alla Yaminskaya told Interfax.
Earlier Tuesday, the Investigative Committee had announced that the international arrest warrant out on Gutseriyev had been dropped.
Gutseriyev, the former head of Russneft, fled Russia in 2007, saying the accusations against him were false. Russia issued an international arrest warrant for the businessman after he failed to appear for questioning. He is currently living in England.
This year, Gutseriyev made it onto the Sunday Times’ list of Britain’s 1,000 richest residents, with his total wealth estimated at £1.2 billion ($1.95 billion).
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