Abramovich 'had role in fall of Yukos'

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH played a major role in the downfall of Russian oil giant Yukos, one of the company's main shareholders claimed in an amazing outburst today.

Leonid Nevzlin, who fled to Israel to escape the fallout from the Yukos saga, said in a Russian newspaper that the Kremlin's attack on the business was planned in association with the Chelsea FC owner.

The claim was slammed by Abramovich's official spokesman as a 'far-fetched conspiracy theory'.

It is almost two years since Abramovich's own oil company, Sibneft, announced plans for a mega-merger with Yukos. Sibneft pulled the plug once the Kremlin launched its tax investigation into Yukos and its controversial founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He was arrested on tax evasion charges and will be sentenced next week.

Analysts are convinced Khodorkovsky's political ambitions led to his downfall but Nevzlin said Sibneft's plan to merge with Yukos was a ruse to take control.

Nevzlin reportedly plans to sue 'a group of people associated with Yukos' destruction'. He also hit out at Dmitry Medvedev, head of the Presidential administration, and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.

His attack is likely to be seen as a defensive tactic against repeated attempts by the Russian prosecutor's office to have him extradited. He has been charged with economic crimes, tax evasion and fraud.