A status conference will be held for the tax evasion case against the CFO of Russian energy company Novatek, Mark Gyetvay, on December 16, court documents filed on Friday said.
"A Status Conference is scheduled for December 16, 2021, at 10:30 am and will be conducted via Zoom video conference. A separate Zoom invitation will be emailed to the parties closer to the hearing date," the court filing said.
Gyetvay was arrested by US authorities on September 23 on tax evasion charges related to the USD 93 million he had saved in offshore accounts. The Justice Department alleges that Gyetvay was engaged in a scheme to defraud the US government by failing to disclose and pay taxes on those assets.
The status conference, which will take place prior to the jury trial, allows the government prosecution team and Gyetvay's defence attorneys to exchange evidence about the case. However, the possibility of a plea bargain may also be discussed or negotiated in the conference.
Gyetvay is currently released on a USD 80 million bail. He said in a tweet that he was indicted on "baseless" tax charges that had already been settled through a voluntary program, during which he pleaded not guilty. He added that he intends to fight the charges. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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