Spinning Yukos into Enron

In today’s Moscow Times front page story on the possibility of new charges against Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Alfa Bank chief strategist Chris Weafer speculates on the PR objective of new, trumped up charges:

Alfa Bank chief strategist Chris Weafer said the timing of the possible money-laundering charges was not a coincidence, given the impending sell-off of Yukos’ remaining assets. The Moscow Arbitration Court in August ordered the once-great oil giant’s bankruptcy and liquidation. The money-laundering charges would give authorities a chance to portray the Yukos dismemberment as the Russian equivalent of the United States’ Enron case rather than a state assault on a private firm, Weafer added.