The plaintiffs applied to the Koptevo district court of Moscow's North Administrative District. Georgy Rozhnov, author of the controversial contribution, and the entire editorial staff are coming as defendants.
Headed, "IMF Loan: Some Gain Where Others Stand to Lose, or Why Is Russia's Ex-Premier So Eager to Go to the U.S.?", the contribution is blatant calumny and paints Mr. Kiriyenko undeservedly black, he said on an earlier occasion. He is determined to make the newspaper publish a refutation in compliance with the federal law, On the Mass Media, Clause 44.
Initial hearings are appointed for July 12.
Certain Russian-based media outlets cited five Congressmen, who alleged Sergei Kiriyenko's involvement in the mysterious disappearance of a five billion dollar IMF loan during his premiership. In a letter to Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, the Congressmen also alleged that Mr. Kiriyenko had bought real estate in Chicago and aspires for a green card. The U.S. law entitles to it aliens who have invested a threshold million dollars in the U.S. economy.
The U.S. Congress launched a home investigation on Tuesday, on the notorious letter, assumed to be forged. The House of Representatives has for now limited the investigation to its internal offices. The five signatures are certainly forged. Novosti received the information yesterday from Duke Hipp, press secretary to Republican Congressman Charles Norwood, one of the five.
