Browder to fight on despite moves to wind down his case

Emerging Markets

Bill Browder, the head of the Hermitage Capital, is to carry on fighting for justice in the Sergei Magnitsky case even as a criminal case against his UK-based hedge fund seems to be winding down.

Kommersant yesterday reported that documents relating to Browder’s criminal case for alleged tax evasion were sent to the head police department of Moscow’s central administrative district and Browder was removed from the international wanted list.

These changes are believed to be linked with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s order to look into the case against Magnitsky, Hermitage Capital’s lawyer who had died in pre-trial detention over a year ago. Magnitsky was held on remand in 2008 on tax evasion charges after attempting to defend Hermitage, once Russia’s top foreign investor, against the same charges.

In a statement last night, Browder said: “If Russian law enforcement officials think that dropping a fabricated case against me will somehow exonerate them from responsibility for the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky, they are sorely mistaken.

“I, and all of Sergei’s colleagues, are going to fight for justice for Sergei until all of those responsible are properly prosecuted under the law. The whole world is watching what Russia will do, and there are no half measures that will be acceptable.”

Magnitsky accused Russian tax and Interior Ministry officials of using Hermitage to carry out a $230-million tax fraud. He died aged 37 from acute heart failure after 11 months in a Moscow pre-trial detention facility.

Kommersant said that that Browder’s tax evasion case expires at the end of the year and is unlikely to be reviewed before a court. займ на карту займ на карту без отказов круглосуточно https://zp-pdl.com https://zp-pdl.com/emergency-payday-loans.php payday loan