Related to the economic forum in Davos Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave an interview to Bloomberg television, where President Medvedev spoke about the investment climate in Russia.
In this connection the interviewer asked about Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his verdict, which was strongly criticised in the West.
Venäjän presidentti Dmitri Medvedev vastasi Bloomberg television kysymyksiin, mm. Hodorkovski – tapauksesta.
Presidentti Medvedev korosti, että pääsyyttäjänviraston tilastojen perusteella pelkästään viime vuonna yli 1000 yrittäjää tuomittiin veropetoksista, eli Hodorkovski – tapaus ei ole mitenkään ainutlaatuinen.
Presidentti Medvedev myös ihmetteli, miksi eräät länsimaiset poliitikot yrittävät manipuloida Venäjän oikeuslaitosta painostamalla Venäjän presidenttiä, vaikka länsimaisten käsitteiden mukaan oikeuslaitoksen pitää olla riippumaton.
"RC: Well,… when Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested the first time, it sent a signal to all of the oligarchs that the state was in control. And one thing that happened was everybody started paying taxes. So wouldn't it – wouldn't you have the same effect if you went after one of your own? I am talking about somebody at cabinet level in the government, somebody really senior. Wouldn't that send the same signal to everyone else that this is no longer tolerated?
DM: As regards payment of taxes, not just by Khodorkovsky, but all our businessmen in general. Yesterday I had a look at statistics: last year alone 1,000 private entrepreneurs and some 3,000 employees of major companies were prosecuted for tax dodging.
This is a big number. I didn't expect it to be that high. And I had a look at certain cases (the information was provided to me by the Prosecutor General’s Office): some of those people – I’m not talking about the well-known cases – got 8-10 and 15-year sentences. So, I would say, it’s not exactly correct to talk about selective use of justice.
RC: Let me talk to you about Mikhail Khodorkovsky in a little bit more depth. Every December, Russia's biggest investment bankers and brokers get together for an informal chat. This year at that chat, one of the investment bankers raised his glass to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, not because anyone in that room liked Mikhail Khodorkovsky, I was told, but because they all believed that what happened to him, the second conviction, is devastating for Russia's investment climate. Don't you want the story of Mikhail Khodorkovsky to just go away? Don't you want to stop it?
DM: Let me expand on this for it is, indeed, of certain interest to everyone.
First of all, let me say once again that last year alone several thousand private entrepreneurs and employees of major business entities were sent to prison for tax crimes.
Secondly, I have always believed that the president of any country, including Russia, should not talk about individual cases, just because that would be an interference with the judiciary system.
Thirdly, as regards Mr. Khodorkovsky and some of his colleagues prosecuted by law and their respective sentences….it has not entered into legal force. But I hope it is, needless to say, that basically the prosecution can come up with new arguments and bring new charges against people already serving their sentences, however you take it.
And fourthly, I believe that all talk about the shortcomings of our judicial system as well as any attempts to bring pressure, including on me as the President, are totally destructive in this context because they make everyone else think that the judicial and legal system in Russia is so imperfect that you can simply tell the president or someone else ‘Change the sentence for Khodorkovsky or someone else, and then we’ll believe that your legal system is not that hopeless, that it is kind of working.’ But that would be unacceptable.
Let me tell you, quite frankly: I have discussed this topic – behind the scenes, of course, – with some of my colleagues, high-ranking colleagues. And I told them one simple thing. I said: “As long as you discuss this in secret, it means that we have an ill-functioning legal system.” The President should not interfere with things like this. Let the judicial and legal systems develop independently, otherwise there will be problems.
RC: How can investors be sure there won’t be another Khodorkovsky?
DM: I think that any investor – be it a Russian or an American investor – should abide by laws. Otherwise he can get a term, the way it happened with Khodorkovsky, and as was the case with Bernard Madoff, who got a longer sentence."
http://rt.com/politics/medvedev-interview-bloomberg/
Also in Russian:
"Я отвечу на этот вопрос чуть более подробно, потому что он действительно представляет определенный интерес для всех. Во-первых, еще раз хотел бы сказать, что за налоговые преступления только в прошлом году несколько тысяч частных предпринимателей и сотрудников крупных коммерческих структур сели в тюрьму. Это первое. Второе - я считал и считаю, что Президент любой страны, в том числе и России, не должен рассуждать об отдельных кейсах, только по тому, что это и есть вмешательство в судебную систему. Третье - в отношении Ходорковского и некоторых его коллег, которые преследуются по закону и соответствующего приговора: он не вступил в законную силу, но я надеюсь, что ни у кого не вызывает сомнения, что в принципе обвинение имеет право предъявлять дополнительные аргументы и выдвигать новые обвинения в отношении тех лиц, которые сидят в тюрьме, как бы это не воспринималось, - сказал Дмитрий Медведев. - И, наконец, четвертое: я считаю, что разговоры о несовершенстве судебной системы, а также попытки давления, в том числе и на меня, как на Президента страны, в этом плане носят абсолютно деструктивный эффект, потому что они заставляют думать всех остальных, что в России настолько несовершенная судебно-правовая система, что можно сказать Президенту, ещё кому-то: вы поменяйте приговор по делу Ходорковского, по делу кого-то другого и тогда мы убедимся в том, что ваша правовая система не безнадежна, а хоть как-то работает". "Но это неприемлемо, - подчеркнул Президент. - Я считаю, что инвестор, любой - и российский и иностранный - должен соблюдать законы. В противном случае он может получить тюремный срок. Так, как это произошло в случае с Ходорковским или в случае с Медоффом, который получил несколько больше".
http://www.1tv.ru/news/crime/169892
