New charges against one of Russia's richest men

The Russian prosecutor-general’s office today brought tax evasion charges against Platon Lebedev, one of the country’s richest men.

His arrest earlier this month sparked concerns of a politically motivated campaign against the country’s largest oil company.

Lebedev is the chief executive of Menatep, a holding company with a majority share in the Yukos oil company, as well as other interests.

His arrest and jailing on charges of defrauding the state in a 1994 privatisation deal was seen by some analysts as a Kremlin move against Yukos chairman Mikhail Khodorokovsky, Russia’s richest man, who helps fund liberal parties that often disagree with President Vladimir Putin.

Prosecutor-General’s office spokeswoman Natalya Vishnyakova said that Lebedev also has been charged with tax evasion, in connection with a Menatep-controlled company that failed to pay taxes.

Since Lebedev’s arrest almost three weeks ago, investigators have conducted a search of Yukos’ archives and opened an investigation of Yukos’ acquisition of a company with licences to develop potentially lucrative oil fields in Siberia.

A court last week denied Lebedev’s bail request.