The police has terminated the legal prosecution of owner of Arbat-Prestige cosmetic chain Vladimir Nekrasov and his alleged business partner and former consultant of Evergeit Company Sergey Shnaider (known as Semen Mogilevich).

Nekrasov and Shnaider (Mogilevich)’s advocate Aleksandr Dobrovinsky was aware of the termination of the proceedings long before. The lawyer and his defendants decided not to celebrate victory, but the information went through.

The inquiry into the tax return filed by Nekrasov in 2005-2006 has failed to get enough evidence of tax-evasion scheme, developed by Nekrasov and Shnaider to avoid paying over 115 million roubles taxes (as was previously thought).

Early in October 2010 Moscow’s Tushinsky Court refused to examine the case, because the indictment was brought in with the violations of the procedure. So-called “primary evidence” which could help to prove that the accusation were true was lacking. The indictment was based on the forensic inquiry which clearly showed that the accused had in fact overpayed taxes.

From the beginning Nekrasov and Shnaider has denied they were guilty and claimed that  the competitors tried to take over successful company. According to Aleksandr Dobrovinsky's words, he was offered $ 3 million for the company. The lawyer said that Nekrasov was to be «set free in two weeks» if he agreed on selling the company.    

Nekrasov turned the offer down but was unable to save the business. Soon after his arrest the holding faced financial difficulties with outlets being closed one after another. The company became bankrupt.

The businessmen who lost cosmetic retail chain are not going to ask for compensation. The lawyer said: “Vladimir Ilyich has lost one and a half billion dollars. I do not really think the investigator can pay this money”.