Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Khodorkovsky's statement was part of his first full formal response to the charges since he was arrested at gunpoint at a Siberian airport.

"They are accusing me of not paying taxes, but I will show this is absurd," the former CEO of the Yukos oil company said.

Khodorkovsky faces an array of charges, including tax evasion, fraud and forgery. A conviction could bring a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. His statement came a day after he and co-defendant Platon Lebedev entered not guilty pleas.

The state says the legal action against Yukos and Khodorkovsky is part of an anti-corruption drive, but critics say it is Kremlin-led retaliation for the tycoon's political aspirations and growing clout.

"In my opinion, society for a long time has not had any illusions about the underlying political motives in this case," Khodorkovsky told a three-judge panel from his courtroom cage, according to a statement transcript posted on a Web site maintained by supporters.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 24, 2004
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