Novatek executive Mark Gyetvay has vowed to fight tax evasion charges after being arrested in the US on Thursday.
Gyetvay, a familiar face on the international LNG conference circuit and a deputy chairman of the Russian gas producer, said on Twitter that he had pleaded not guilty after the US Department of Justice charged him with having some $93m hidden in offshore accounts.
"Dear friends and colleagues. On Thursday I was indicted for baseless tax charges that I already settled through a voluntary program, and pleaded not guilty," the Novatek official said.
"I will vigorously fight these charges and will continue to discuss gas topics as normal."
A federal court judge ordered Florida-based Gyetvay released on an $80m bond.
He faces years in prison if convicted.
Shipping savvy
Gyetvay has often spoken on and explained Novatek's position on LNG shipping, in particular describing the company's strategy for using its chartered ice-breaking Arc7 fleet for exporting and transshipping cargoes through the Northern Sea Route.
He holds both US and Russian passports and served as chief financial officer for Novatek between 2003 and 2014. The US Justice Department alleges he received stock options or other stock-based compensation which were lodged in two Swiss bank accounts and that he took steps to conceal these.
The department also accused him of not filing his US tax returns on time, failing to file all the required forms for his foreign accounts and filing some false returns.
US citizens are required to file returns and pay tax on their income earned worldwide.
Novatek, which is the lead shareholder in Yamal LNG and is currently building Arctic LNG 2 project, said in a statement that it is not involved in the litigation and does not have any details of the court hearings against Gyetvay.
The company added: "Novatek monitors the situation and will give all necessary support."
Novatek acknowledged Gyetvay's pivotal role saying that he served as the main representative of the company for the professional and investment community, making "invaluable contribution" to its success.
The company stressed Gyetvay had not been involved in its financial activities since he left the board of directors and his role as CFO in 2014.
