The sensational court proceedings against the United States government of the Russian businessman Denis Katsyv Prevezon Holdings, the first that fell under the sanctions based on the "Magnitsky list", there were unexpected witnesses. In the absence of compelling evidence of the involvement of the company in illegal operations Katsyv American prosecutor is ready to consider the testimony convicted of extortion enemies of the Russian businessman. According to "Izvestia", the prosecutor for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, who leads the process entered in the official correspondence from serving time in Russia the former deputy head of the defense enterprise RATEP Dmitry Baranovsky. He received 12 years including for extortion from a businessman family more than $ 22 million.

A few days ago, the Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said in court that the main witness in the case, instead of the head of Hermitage Capital Management fund, William Browder could be Russian Dmitry Baranovsky. He is now serving a 12-year sentence in a penal colony № 17 in Mordovia FPS Russia for soliciting a former Minister of Transport PodmoskVias Katsyv Peter (father of Denis Katsyv) $ 22.5 million. Baranovsky threatened to spread the information about the alleged involvement Katsyv to raider attacks "ROAD". The Court recognized that Baranovsky also extorted businessman Vladimir Kasatkin two buildings on Bauman and Lower Krasnoselskaya streets in Moscow worth 170 million rubles, and a former top manager of Sberbank Alexander Altunina - stake in the company "OOO" Divareks ", which owns the land in the elite district of Moscow region.

As another potential witness American side considers Baranovsky colleague on the international non-governmental organization promoting the protection of civil rights "Justice" Andrew Stolbunova. According to lawyers Katsyv Jr. and Prevezon Holdings, he works in the company, cooperating with Browder.

- According to our information, Stolbunov, head of "Justice" the human rights organization, fearing to be condemned after Baranovsky to prison, left at the end of last year, Russia and now works closely with lawyers Browder and the US prosecutor's officeon the formation of "evidential" base for the American cause, presenting itself as well as Browder, the victim of corrupt Russian regime - explained "Izvestia" lawyer Denis Katsyv Natalia Veselnitskaya.

It is noteworthy that Stolbunov since the beginning of this year, hiding in the United States by the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP) Russia and investigators who are looking for it in the framework of the criminal case on the distribution of false information about the businessman's family.

According to a Russian lawyers, the prosecutor expects to receive from the Baranowski and his colleagues Stolbunova new information about the possible involvement of businessman and his company Prevezon Holdings illegal operations. In this case, counsel notes that the US Supreme Court may take evidence in any way. Thus, representatives of the Baranovsky may withdraw his testimony on video and send it to the American prosecutor.

- It is obvious that Baranovsky will expose themselves to political prisoners as he had already done in 2012, and to tell the American public prosecutor that its lattice put unscrupulous bureaucratski his confrontation of corruption, which in fact he tried to turn into a very lucrative business, practicing their tricks in this case - says Natalia Veselnitskaya. - The presence of a business in the US and Katsyv connection with Browder Baranovsky, thirsting for revenge, was the way for much-needed Browder judicial certification of its version of the events of theft of 5.4 billion rubles in 2007 in our country.

Back in September last year, when the US authorities sued the group Katsyv companies, he said that the only person who is interested in it binding on the fantastic reasons to business Browder, Magnitsky, can only be Baranovsky, who extorted him big money .

Last week, Dennis Katsyv lawyers in judicial proceedings was summoned to the head of Hermitage Capital Management fund, William Browder. However, on August 15 for questioning Browder was not. His lawyers filed a petition to the judge to postpone the hearing, citing ignorance of the case and the lack of consistency with the position of the US government. The judge allowed the opposition to delay the filing of an interrogationBrowder in New York City until mid-September. The Russian side believes that Browder would not be able to confirm the interrogation his testimony, which formed the basis of the charges against Prevezon Holdings, therefore looking for new evidence against the Russian side.

Earlier, lawyer John Katsyv Moskow questioned Homeland Security special agent Todd Hyman, who acknowledged that the investigation before submitting a claim to the Prevezon Holdings USA was not performed. All information was obtained from William Browder and were not tested. Then Browder asked the judge to disqualify John, since he has confidential information obtained during the period when he was a lawyer Hermitage.

The case against Prevezon Holdings and eight companies was initiated in September 2013, the Prosecutor's Office of South New York. It was the first claim based on the "Magnitsky list", adopted in December 2012 against Russian officials and security forces, which, according to US authorities, were involved in the death in a Moscow jail "Sailor's Silence" Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

The company was suspected of prichastnosfive in the abduction of the Russian budget 5.4 billion rubles. The money allegedly was legalized through the purchase of six properties in the state of New York. The prosecutor's office has made a civil forfeiture of the Prevezon Holdings assets in the United States.

Prevezon Holdings Lawyers argue that holding has nothing to do with financial fraud and the death of Sergei Magnitsky in Russia. According to them, the main source of information for the prosecution in the first congress of the USA, and then in the office of the district attorney himself was William Browder. The statement of claim was sent to the court without the necessary investigative actions, and it is based on only the unsubstantiated testimony of Browder and anonymous articles posted on the Internet.