Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center

Bio:

Nina Vlasova joined YUKOS-Moscow in April 1999 in the internal audit department. In early 2000 she was transferred into the tax management section, where she worked until 2005, after which she was transferred to YUKOS-RM.

Transcript Reading Dates:

February 17

Testimony Summary:

Ms. Vlasova described a trip to the City of Strezhevoy, Tomskneft's home base, soon after she joined YUKOS-Moscow. She remembered that, while visiting, her section raised some tax-related concerns about sales of Tomskneft's production as wellhead liquid, but the legal department defended the practice. Ms. Vlasova did not remember what specific concerns were raised.

Ms. Vlasova was asked about "the movement of crude oil" and told investigator Iogan that she tracked sales agreements between various companies, including those based in closed administrative-territorial formations (ZATO). She explained that her responsibility was to make sure that contracts were drafted correctly and complied with applicable tax regulations. Ms. Vlasova remembered some of the companies whose contracts she tracked, including Mitra, Muskron and Business Oil. Ms. Vlasova explained that the aforementioned companies traded crude oil, with directors serving in nominal capacity, tasked with drafting and signing contracts.

Ms. Vlasova told investigator Iogan that she saw "diagrams showing movement of crude oil." She explained that, when tracking crude oil sales contracts, she made sure contracts were complying with the strategy depicted in a current diagram. The strategy was about crude oil and petroleum product sales and did not change very often. Ms. Vlasova did not know who developed the strategy and drew up the diagrams.
Ms. Vlasova explained that her section was often called upon to consult various YUKOS subsidiaries on how to structure sales transactions to comply with tax regulations. Most of those subsidiaries were refineries and crude oil storage facilities.

After Mr. Lakhtin finished Ms. Vlasova's transcript, Mr. Lebedev asked the court to note that, despite describing "diagrams showing movement of crude oil," Ms. Vlasova discussed the crude oil sales strategy. Mr. Lebedev reminded the court that the physical movement of crude oil was not the same as the transfer of property rights for that crude oil.