Judge Refuses to Hear American Expert

In the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, the defense called Kevin Dages, a U.S. specialist in economics and finance, as an expert witness. The defense sought to have Dages opine that certain transactions of YUKOS (dividend payouts and promissory note deals) did not constitute “embezzlement” as the prosecution insists. The judge, however, upheld the prosecutor’s request to exclude Dages on the grounds that he “is not a specialist in Russian law, is not acquainted with the economic and financial activities of YUKOS, was not invited to participate in the case by the court or by the investigators, and was not familiar with the case file.” The Russian court became the first court to call into question Dages’ professional competence following his participation in more than 80 cases in the U.S. and Europe.

http://gazeta.ru/politics/2010/06/07_a_3381334.shtml
http://www.khodorkovskycenter.com/news-resources/stories/judge-questions-competence-international-expert