Calm your boggle! See post #13 who explained my memory-deficit. And thanks for your explanatory rant. When I first read this, I just remembered reading about a Russian who was CEO of some Russian oil company that got put in jail for corruption. Couldn't remember the specifics. One good thing about FR. If you don't know something but the vaguest of details, there's always a FReeper that can fill in the blanks.
The point is the western MSM continually make it look like Hodorkovsky was some model of capitalism and freedom when in fact he was a corrupt liar stealing from his country and his people, and an enemy to democracy.
Never trust people who are even ready to scream in defense of somebody like Vladimir Putin.
Khodorkovsky was a crook no doubt about this like many others in today’s Russia. But he has political ambitions and this is the only reason why he is sitting now somewhere in Siberian labor camp. Tax’s accusation is nothing but a joke, because all Russian companies pay lower taxes.
Yukos, just like other oil companies, used legal tax mechanism to reduce the taxes. Out of 24 per cent of the binding income tax, Yukos paid around 12-15 per cent. It should be added that e.g. Sibneft concern (Controlled by Kremlin’s loyal businessman Roman Abramovich) pays around 5 per cent of the income tax, and the aluminum concern RusAl around 3 per cent (out of 24). Both companies are loyal to the Kremlin; the Tax Office and the prosecution authorities have not applied any sanctions against them.
Source: Center for Eastern Studies, Warsaw, Poland
Putin after re-election