In today’s Kommersant — a major interview with Gref. *“Do you consider the complaints of your personal opponent — minority shareholder Alexei Navalny, who has sued you over your refusal to disclose salary information — to be justified?” * “Unfortunately, I learned about Mr. Navalny’s lawsuit from the press; I have seen neither any request nor the claim itself. If he had told me about it, especially since I do occasionally meet with him, I think the issue could have been resolved. There is a procedure for access to confidential information: a minority shareholder who wants to receive it signs a non-disclosure document. In any case, formally there is nothing illegal in refusing to provide information about the salaries of management board members, including my own. Under the personal data law, disclosure of such information requires my consent, and no one asked me for it. I have instructed the legal department to look into the situation; I believe we will settle this issue, and the scandal has flared up out of nothing.” Kommersant was of course getting a bit carried away with the phrase “personal opponent” — compared with the others, I consider Gref simply a sweetheart and a defender of shareholders. As for the rest, our dear German Oskarovich is either exaggerating or he needs to fire his lawyers. You cannot file a claim with the Arbitration Court (Russia’s commercial court) without Sberbank knowing about it. First I send the claim to them. Then, a week later, I receive notice that Sberbank has received it. Those notices have to be attached to the stack of documents, and only then can you go to court. The phrase about “settling” gives hope that Sber will not litigate, but will provide the documents and sign an amicable settlement agreement, which is of course the right decision. And one more piece of good news from Sberbank: Gupta will not be pushed into the Supervisory Board. Also the right decision. And a question for the audience: who’s going to the general meetings tomorrow? I’m dropping by Sber for a couple of hours, and then (for dessert) VTB. Join me.