Bloggers have found three more parliamentarians suspected of concealment of foreign business.
The information appeared in the Internet that deputies of the State Duma Igor Lebedev (LDPR), Sergey Vainshtein (LDPR) and Anatoliy Karpov (United Russia) have foreign companies registered in offshore zones. According to the parliamentarians, in their tax returns they did not conceal anything and own no foreign companies. The facts, they state, either are invented or relate to their namesakes.
Recently bloggers have started a massive attack on some deputies of the State Duma. Referring to an internet resource where directors and owners of offshore companies can be found, bloggers caught two liberal democrats who had registered several companies in tax-free zones.
In particular, according to the bloggers, vice speaker of the State Duma representing LDPR Igor Lebedev is director of four companies registered in Cyprus: Appleridge Corporation, Springerfield Corporation, Linkwood Creek Corporation and Perrywood Corporation. The deputy himself has assured that the information provided by his opponents does not represent the facts.
— I have a rather widespread surname; they possibly found another Igor Lebedev. I don’t have any companies in Cyprus, — stated the parliamentarian. – It is a pity that there is no responsibility for distribution of such information. It would be very difficult to judge them in relation to slander.
Besides Lebedev reminded that Cyprus “is not an offshore zone any longer; this is a country with normal tax legislation”.
According to the website where the information about offshore and foreign assets of Russian officials was published, liberal democrat Sergey Vainshtein has the companies in tax-free zones. The deputy allegedly used Seychelles company formation to register Brosworth Ltd and Nortoholme Investments Ltd. But the parliamentarian was utterly surprised when he got to know it.
— This is all wrong. Yes, I have some companies, some real estate, but they are all declared and the information is in the public domain. I hide nothing in offshore zones, — assured Vainshtein. – Now it is just allowed to badger deputies with wild guesses.
The website also contains information about deputies of other factions. In particular, the State Duma deputy of United Russia Anatoliy Karpov is said to have company named Indiforth Ltd. However the deputy himself assured that he had nothing to do with business in the offshore zone and called it a mistake.