Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center

Platon Lebedev, former head of Group MENATEP Ltd, told the court on Tuesday that in the money laundering case against him in 2004, there was no core criminal offence. He said that investigators Salavat Karimov and Yuri Biriukov had launched a criminal case against him and Mikhail Khodorkovsky accusing the businessmen of laundering in February-March 2002 of money that, according to the investigation, would have been stolen in September 2002, i.e. eight months later.

Platon Lebedev also pointed out that there was no evidence in the second case against him and his business partner that would confirm YUKOS Universal Limited's involvement in oil or oil products trade. "GML never traded oil or oil products, MENATEP Limited never did that either," the businessman said.