The chief editor of a Russian business daily said on Wednesday accusations that former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky stole 350 million tons of oil were groundless.
Vedomosti editor Tatyana Lysova testified as a defense witness for Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev at Moscow's Khamovniki District Court.
Khodorkovsky is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion. He is now accused of stealing $9.6 billion from the $15.8 billion profit generated by Yukos between 1999 and 2003, as well as 350 million tons of oil.
"I know nothing about this [embezzlement] and I had no reason even to suspect it. It is inconceivable that Yukos was producing more oil than was registered by the Central Control Administration of the Fuel and Energy Commission," Lysova said.
Lysova was covering Yukos operations when Khodorkovsky and Lebedev allegedly stole the oil.
In an article published in The Washington Post on Wednesday, Khodorkovsky said the case against him was driven by corruption.
"Throughout my country corruption has been transformed into a systemic factor that governs many political and economic decisions," he said.
"My partners and I, for example, worked for more than a decade to build Yukos into Russia's most successful and transparent global energy company -- only to see it destroyed to satisfy the corrupt appetites of certain government officials who came to power with Vladimir Putin."
He also lashed out at some Kremlin-friendly politicians and businessmen abroad.
"It is especially interesting that the theft of Yukos was defended by certain German politicians, while a large Italian company played a central role as purchaser of some of the stolen assets," he said.
Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on Monday the new charges against Khodorkovsky were ludicrous and politically motivated. Kasyanov said Putin's reaction "created the impression that the powers that be were exerting pressure on business."
The court last Wednesday refused to subpoena Putin as a witness. It also turned down a request by the Khodorkovsky defense to summon Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.
Sberbank head German Gref, Russia's former economics and trade minister, and Russian Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko are to give evidence at the Khamovniki court on June 21 and 22, respectively.
MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti)
