Chigirinsky, a former president of the company, and two ex-directors, Alexander Povolotsky and Oleg Ivanchenko, were ordered to appear at a department before Moscow investigators, a law enforcement source told Interfax.
Police suspect the firm and its legal predecessor, the Moscow Oil Company, of “large-scale tax evasion,” involving some 600 million rubles (now $18.9 million) in unpaid taxes between 2002-02 and in 2006. The company was renamed in 2003.
“A while back, a summons was sent to the address where Chigirinsky is registered, ordering him to appear for questioning, but he did not appear,” the law enforcement source was quoted as saying. “Given the circumstances, investigators are leaning toward the belief that the businessman might remain in Britain or leave for a third country to avoid meeting with investigators.”
Under Russian law, if a person does not appear for a police summons, he will be called a second and third time, after which he can be forced to appear. If police are unable to locate the individual, he would be placed on wanted lists.
The tax evasion case appeared after financial audit initiated by the Moscow government, which was aimed at “optimization of management structure” of the Moscow Oil and Gas Company.
Chigirinsky was president from 1999 until May of this year.
City Hall and Bank of Moscow control a combined 19.3 percent, Deputy Mayor Vladimir Silkin said Friday, reiterating the city’s position that it does not want to sell its stake.
Sibir’s London-traded shares have been frozen since February after the company said former shareholder Chigirinsky owed it at least $325 million.
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