09-07-03 Platon Lebedev, one of the most influential Russian businessmen and a co-holder of a controlling stake in Russia’s largest oil company Yukos, was arrested in Moscow. He was arrested on suspicion of stealing a 20 % stake in Apatit, a state-owned fertilizer company. Another Yukos official, Alexey Pichugin, was indicted on other charges. The concerted actions of the Prosecutor General’s Office suggest that law-enforcement agencies are launching a new campaign on big business.
Yukos’ problems started in late June. On June 21, the Prosecutor General’s Office arrested Alexey Pichugin, head of the Fourth Department of Yukos’ Internal and Economic Security Service.

On July 2, "sources in law enforcement agencies" reported that an arrest warrant had been issued for another Yukos official, Ramil Burganov, who was chairman of one of the company’s subsidiaries, Eastern Oil Company (VNK), in 1998. He was charged with stealing more than RUR 1 bn (about $ 33 mm) in state-owned assets. Finally, Platon Lebedev was summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office on July 2.
The investigators were informed that Platon Lebedev was in hospital, but the reasons for his hospitalisation were not disclosed. Officers of the Prosecutor General’s Office took Mr Lebedev from the hospital. The three nearly simultaneous arrests look like a concerted attack against Yukos co-owners.

Platon Lebedev was arrested on suspicion of stealing a 20 % stake in JSC Apatit. In 1993, the stake was purchased by the Volna private company, part of the Rosprom group, from the Property Fund of the Murmansk region. The deal envisaged a RUR 530.1 bn (about $ 17.5 bn) investment in Apatit. In particular, the investment program envisaged the construction of a brewery and a maternity hospital in the city of Kirovsk. Rosprom tried to ‘correct’ the investment program, but did not find support from the Property Ministry.
In the end, the deal was rescinded by a court order. However, by that time, Volna had sold the stake to other Rosprom firms. And the Murmansk region’s Property Fund did not return the money to Volna. Now the Prosecutor General’s Office sees this as embezzlement of state funds.

Commenting on Mr Lebedev’s arrest, a report estimated his net worth at more $ 1.25 bn. The troubles of Menatep group, chaired by Mr Vebedev, began on July 1, when the investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office paid a visit to one of its banks, TRUST.
According to the bank, the investigators did not search the office and did not seize any documents. Instead, they inquired about the movement of assets in the accounts of one of Menatep’s clients, who used to have TRUST’s office. Quoting a source close to Menatep, Platon Lebedev, chairman of the board of Menatep, was summoned as a witness to the Prosecutor General’s Office shortly before. He was scheduled to visit the Office on July 2, but Mr Lebedev felt ill at about 5 a.m., and he was taken to the Vishnevsky hospital.

Mr Lebedev’s lawyer Anatoly Drel came to the Prosecutor General’s Office and received a summons for his client to appear in the Office at 10 a.m. on July 3. However, at about 4 p.m., the officers of the Prosecutor General’s Office came to the Vishnevsky hospital, made Platon Lebedev dress, handcuffed him and took him to the Prosecutor General’s Office for questioning.
According to Mr Drel, his client is suspected of violating Article 159, "B"; Article 165, "B" ("Fraud" and "Causing property damage by means of fraud and abuse of trust"); and Article 315 ("Failure to comply with a court order") of the Russian Criminal Code. Charges against Mr Lebedev are based on the materials obtained during the investigation which was initiated at the request of Vladimir Yudin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Committee for Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship.