MOSCOW, Dec 23 (AFP) - Russian police Thursday again searched the headquarters of the Yukos oil group, the Interfax news agency said quoting the prosecutor general.
The search was carried out "in the framework of the criminal investigation into the non-payment of taxes by companies controlled by the Yukos group," said a spokesman for the prosecutor, quoted by the agency.
A similar search was carried out at the Yukos headquarters last week, and one of the company officers was questioned. Three of the company's legal experts were arrested at the beginning of December.
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended the state's takeover of Yukos' main assets because it failed to pay its taxes. He said the state, through state oil company Rosneft, had acted legally and used "absolutely legal market mechanisms."
12/23/2004 18:35 GMT - AFP