MOSCOW, December 12 - RAPSI. A Moscow district court has held in favor of the tax service's lawsuit against businessman Shalva Chigirinsky to collect $475,000 in tax arrears, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

"The tax service's lawsuit has been satisfied," the source said.

The Federal Tax Service said Chigirinsky filed his income tax returns in 2009 for the previous year amounting to 14 million rubles ($443,300). However, he has yet to pay his taxes. The tax service filed a lawsuit in April to recover the sum and 921,000 rubles ($29,000) in penalties.
Chigirinsky has not commented on the issue.

He has been operating on the real estate and oil sectors since the 1990s.

In fall 2008, his problems with creditors arose and tax evasion cases were launched in summer 2009. Chigirinsky has left Russia and faces up to six years in prison.