Rolf Dealership Founder Jailed 9 Years in Absentia
Sergei Petrov, an ex-lawmaker who now lives in Austria, was found guilty of using fake documents to smuggle billions of rubles out of Russia.
Sergei Petrov, the founder of Russia's largest car dealership and former lawmaker, has been sentenced to nine years in prison absentia. The judge found him guilty of using fake documents to smuggle 4 billion rubles ($47 million) out of the country in 2014. Petrov, a billionaire and member of the left-leaning A Just Russia party, was accused alongside Tatyana Lukovetskaya and Georgiy Kafkalia.
They are alleged to have used a forged agreement to purchase Rolf Estate shares at an inflated price, funneling proceeds to Panabel Limited. Petrov, currently living in Austria, denies the charges and claims the Russian authorities are punishing him for opposing the Kremlin.
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