Today, the name of Sergei Magnitsky is familiar to many. An audit firm specialist was able to uncover a whole criminal scheme of embezzlement from the state budget. Some of the perpetrators of the crime were relieved of their posts, some remain in their posts until now. A bold and honest auditor paid for his actions with a career, freedom and his own life.
Childhood and youth
Sergey was born on April 8, 1972 in Odessa. From childhood, the boy was fond of reading. During the summer holidays, while classmates were swimming in the sea, he could be seen with a book in his hands. Seryozha's favorite school subjects were exact sciences. As a teenager, he became the winner of the Physics and Mathematics Republican Olympiad. After leaving school, the young man went to conquer the capital and entered the Plekhanov University. In 1993, a graduate received a diploma in Finance and Credit.
Work in a British company
Two years later, the novice auditor was invited to work at the consulting company Firestone Duncan, which was founded by the British Jameson Firestone and Terry Danken. The firm was engaged in audit and tax advice. This twist of fate influenced the entire future biography of the specialist. Magnitsky made his professional career confidently. According to colleagues, he was an excellent lawyer, brilliantly conducted business in the Arbitration Court and believed in the power of justice. He was appreciated for his high professionalism and personal qualities. He approached each business carefully, not afraid of difficulties. A good education and love for the profession helped. He did not let the interlocutor feel uncomfortable, was philosophical, tried to help and teach. His work was evaluated and soon the specialist was entrusted with the position of head of the tax and audit department. His contribution to the development of the company was that, as an excellent mentor, he brought up a whole generation of tax consultants who tried to be like him.
Truth seeker
The consulting company has provided services to many clients, including the Hermitage Capital fund. In the summer of 2007, the Russian branch of the fund was accused of tax evasion, the trial began. The following year, a group of lawyers, led by Magnitsky, collected materials stating that he had been re-registered using the seized documents and seals of the foundation. As a result of this, the new owner illegally returned more than five billion rubles of tax amounts. Magnitsky immediately testified. His testimonies contained information that this criminal scheme was used not only against his client. Other Russian businessmen suffered similarly, they were punished on false charges. In addition, the country's budget has lost hundreds of billions of rubles. The materials featured senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tax authorities, and the judiciary. Magnitsky indicated specific people, and the material benefits received by them as a result of their criminal acts: chic mansions near Moscow, villas, real estate abroad.
Did the auditor need to open this criminal scheme and, most importantly, report it to the appropriate authorities? Did Magnitsky understand when he testified against serious people, what consequences would this entail? He was a true professional and honest man, therefore, first of all, he defended the interests of his client. Even putting himself in danger, he defended his beliefs. He sincerely hoped that those guilty of billions of fraud would be punished.
Arrest
The company's experts, led by Magnitsky, collected a lot of materials directed against employees of various departments. This did not go unnoticed, and a month later the head of the department was arrested. He was accused of aiding embezzlement at Hermitage. The inhuman conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center boiled down to one thing - to give up their testimonies and slander the client. Sergei was summoned for interrogation only a few times. He considered himself a "hostage" of this situation, and emphasized in court that "his person is of little interest to anyone, their goal is the head of the fund William Browder." The auditor was the only one arrested in connection with this scandal. The head of the fund was charged in absentia since he hadn’t appeared in Russia since 2005. From that moment on, the famous British was ordered entry into our country. His fund was the largest private company investing in the Russian economy. In 2005, the fund revealed a whole scheme of corrupt actions by domestic officials. The head of the fund was denied a visa and expelled from the country, explaining that he poses a threat to national security.
