MOSCOW, July 15 (UPI) -- Lawyers in Moscow escalated their prosecution against the expatriate staff of the jointly held energy firm TNK-BP, signaling a possible exodus, officials say.
Lawyers demanded scores of documents relating to the foreign staff in Moscow late Monday afternoon, ordering them to hand over the information by the end of the business day, The Financial Times said.
The demand follows a trend putting the Russian shareholders at odds with the foreign staff. Moscow officials accuse TNK-BP of violating labor laws and tax codes, while the expatriate staff says the move is a targeted takeover attempt by the Kremlin.
The Russian shareholders, led by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, respond to the allegations saying BP is preventing the firm from expanding into European markets.
Meanwhile, at least 20 of the 85 foreigners at the firm's Moscow office may have to leave the country before the month's end because they will not receive work permits. Russian authorities, however, granted an additional 14 permits Monday.
