MOSCOW, March 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Moscow's Meshchansky Court has completed its investigation of the case against former Yukos chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Menatep Group chief Platon Lebedev.

    The court decided to open debate on the case on March 28, when the state prosecutor is expected to speak first, followed by the defense counsel, and finally the defendants themselves.

    Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are charged with large-scale fraud, tax evasion, ignoring court rulings and forging documents. Menatep Group controls 61 percent of Yukos shares. Khodorkovsky owned 59.5 percent of Menatep stocks.

    A third defendant, AOZT Volna Director Andrei Krainov, is charged under three articles in the Russian Criminal Code.

    Khodorkovsky and Lebedev have been jailed for more than a year.None of the defendant pleaded guilty.

    Khodorkovsky, co-founder of Russia's oil giant Yukos, defended himself in court on Feb. 25 as completely innocent of all charges brought against him, saying he is proud of having managed a successful company. Enditem