From: tamara <kaleyeva@adilsoz.kz>
Date: January 30, 2004
Newspaper "Diapason" Founder Convicted to 2 Years in Custody
On 30 January, the Aktubinsk City Court held that Vladimir Mikhailov,
director of the Rifma Ltd, a founder of the newspaper "Diapason", is guilty
of mock-entrepreneurship connected with the extraction of large-scale profit
(under Article 190 Part 2 of the Criminal code) and sentenced him to two
years in custody with the use amnesty. The claim of the recovery from
Mikhailov of 7,363,299. tenge, according to the court decision, will be
examined in a separate civil lawsuit.
The cause for the litigation was Rifma' cooperation with two television
channels KTK and NTK during 1998-2001. Rifma was producing and placing
its programs on their air. At that, it had been never involved intobroadcasting.
The Prosecutor's Office, nevertheless, initiated the criminal case on the pretext
that Rifma had broadcast its programs without a due license and, as the result of
this its owner had derived illegal income.
No accounting documents, which would confirm the origin of these 7 millions,
were filed to the case and the receipt by Mikhailov of this amount was not proved.
Yet, the prosecutors demanded to indemnify it namely from him. Vladimir Mikhailov
pleaded not guilty and intends to appeal against the unfair decision.
International Foundation
for Protection of Speech "Adil Soz"
Office 706, 25 Zhambyl Street,
Almaty, 480100, Republik of Kazakhstan,
tel/fax: +7(3272)911670
e-mail kaleyeva@adilsoz.kz
www.cafspeech.kz