MOSCOW, October 17 - RAPSI, Dmitry Shchitov. A commercial court of appeals will hear on October 27 a discount program operator's lawsuit against the lower court's refusal to cancel the tax services decision to collect $3.6 million in taxes, penalties and fines, the Russian Legal Information agency (RAPSI) reports from the courtroom.

The court has satisfied the request filed by Loyalty Partners Vostok, the Malina program's operator, to resume the case. Meanwhile the Federal Tax Service objected the resumption as it had prepared an appeal to be considered by the Supreme Commercial Court over a similar dispute between the parties.

Earlier the company appealed the Moscow Commercial Court's December 9 ruling to uphold the tax inspectorate's decision to collect 77.5 million rubles ($2.5 million) in profit tax for 2006-2008, 18.9 million rubles ($610,000) in penalties and (14.7 million rubles ($474,000) in fines.

The plaintiff maintains that the tax claims brought against it are unlawful.