Moscow  - A Moscow court on Tuesday began hearing a case bringing serious charges of embezzlement and fraud against jailed ex- oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his partner Platon Lebedev.

Khodorkovsky denounced the trial as unfair as long as state prosecutors had charge of the case.

"The trial is absurd. It goes against all logic," he was quoted as news agency Interfax as saying in his statement.

Russian prosecutors accuse the Khodorkovsky and Lebedev of defrauding investors in the oil major Yukos out of 890 billion roubles (25 billion dollars).

Once Russia's richest man, Khodorkovsky, 45, was sentenced to an eightn eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion in 2005. The new charges could extend his term by over 20 years, the defence has said.

Many commentators see the case as a Kremlin coup to regain control over the lucrative energy sector and sideline Khodorkovsky as a potential political opponent. (dpa)