Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, defense lawyer Murad Kakhrimanov said Merkulov had maintained his innocence on all counts of the indictment, including attempted diversion of investment, illegal business activity, and forgery of government officials' signatures.
Kakhrimanov said the court had set the order in which the hearings should proceed: testimony by witnesses for the prosecution, study of circumstantial evidence, and testimony by defense witnesses. Two of the prosecution's witnesses already gave their testimonies Wednesday.
The Prosecutor General's official spokesperson, Natalia Vishnyakova, reported earlier that proceedings against Merkulov and Intercom Chairman Lev Gorsky had begun on December 22, 2004. Gorsky was subsequently granted amnesty.
