The Kuwaiti Criminal Court of First Instance delivered a verdict in the case of entrepreneur Maria Lazareva. The Russian woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a fine of $ 2.4 million, as well as to "hard labor", RIA Novosti reported with reference to the text of the decision of the court.
The verdict has now been passed on charges of embezzlement of funds from the Kuwaiti Port Authority. The Lazareva case began in November 2017. Then Lazarev, who served as vice president and managing director of KGLI, was detained by local law enforcement officers. At the same time, her Kuwaiti partner, Said Dashti, was arrested.
Other charges were brought against Lazareva and Dashti - embezzlement of funds that the Kuwaiti Port Authority invested in an investment fund managed by KGLI, and failure to complete the creation of a port hub.
Last spring, a court in Kuwait sentenced Lazarev to ten years in prison. But the international team of lawyers Lazareva filed an appeal, and in early May, the court decided to drop the charges against her. They managed to release it only in June this year, when the assigned amount of the pledge - about $ 65 million - was reduced to $ 3.29 million, and the money was deposited.
The current court verdict, the president of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Platonov, in an interview with RBC, called this verdict unexpected.
“In one case, she was acquitted, and in this case the charges are based on the testimony of a witness who was recognized by the court as a false witness. And it was established that he was still forging documents. And after that, the verdict is based on his testimony. Therefore, it was very unexpected, and now the lawyers will consider the verdict and look for the possibility of appeal, ”Platonov said.
In response to a clarifying question about where Lazareva is now, Platonov said: “In a safe place.”
A member of the Committee for the Rescue of Maria Lazareva, Vladimir Sidorov, told RBC that the Russian woman was being tried “for nothing.” According to him, the reason for the proceedings was "some sort of showdown" between business structures in Kuwait, to which Lazareva has nothing to do.
The verdict has now been passed on charges of embezzlement of funds from the Kuwaiti Port Authority. The Lazareva case began in November 2017. Then Lazarev, who served as vice president and managing director of KGLI, was detained by local law enforcement officers. At the same time, her Kuwaiti partner, Said Dashti, was arrested.
Other charges were brought against Lazareva and Dashti - embezzlement of funds that the Kuwaiti Port Authority invested in an investment fund managed by KGLI, and failure to complete the creation of a port hub.
Last spring, a court in Kuwait sentenced Lazarev to ten years in prison. But the international team of lawyers Lazareva filed an appeal, and in early May, the court decided to drop the charges against her. They managed to release it only in June this year, when the assigned amount of the pledge - about $ 65 million - was reduced to $ 3.29 million, and the money was deposited.
The current court verdict, the president of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Platonov, in an interview with RBC, called this verdict unexpected.
“In one case, she was acquitted, and in this case the charges are based on the testimony of a witness who was recognized by the court as a false witness. And it was established that he was still forging documents. And after that, the verdict is based on his testimony. Therefore, it was very unexpected, and now the lawyers will consider the verdict and look for the possibility of appeal, ”Platonov said.
In response to a clarifying question about where Lazareva is now, Platonov said: “In a safe place.”
A member of the Committee for the Rescue of Maria Lazareva, Vladimir Sidorov, told RBC that the Russian woman was being tried “for nothing.” According to him, the reason for the proceedings was "some sort of showdown" between business structures in Kuwait, to which Lazareva has nothing to do.
