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Magnitsky Tax Officials Fled

Two tax officials accused by former Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky of stealing $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 came in response to a lawsuit by a Magnitsky colleague against investigators for failing to open probes against officials accused by Magnitsky of stealing public funds, Interfax reported Tuesday.

The tax officials, Olga Tsaryova and Yelena Anisimova, were accused by Magnitsky of stealing $186 million in a tax refund scheme.

The two left Russia by car in May at a border post in the Belgorod region, the FSB report said.

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

(MT)

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