Last week, the Investigative Committee conducted a search of the offices of Polimiks-Tsentr, a logistics company that is part of the AST group, which includes more than 100 companies, including the AST publishing house, one of the two largest in Russia. Investigators suspect Polimiks-Tsentr of falsifying its tax returns.
Tax authorities are currently preparing an order for 6.7 billion rubles in back taxes and fines from four other AST group companies, which are suspected of using off-shore shell companies to conceal part of their income, an unnamed tax service source told Vedomosti.
AST's total earnings were 5.7 billion rubles over the period of June 2010 to June 2011, according to an estimate by AST competitor Eksmo. AST is majority-owned by Cyprus-registered company Advanced Achievement Books Publishers Ltd.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
