Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of...

Once Russia"s richest man, Khodorkovsky is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion. He is now accused of stealing $9.6 billion from the $15.8 billion profit generated by Yukos between 1999 and 2003, and 350 million tons of oil.

Khodorkovsky dismissed as absurd the accusation that he masterminded a criminal plan at Yukos.

"I"d like to know where this plan is. Where was it developed? No one drew up any theft plan at Yukos and I was not behind it if they did," he said.

He said the indictment failed to define who led the development and control of the plan, saying the evidence at times places the blame on him and at other times on former major Yukos shareholder, Leonid Nevzlin.

Khodorkovsky told the court again that he could not understand what he was accused of because his specific actions were not described in the criminal case.

MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti)