TCS Group founder Tinkov claims he's fighting leukaemia amid US tax charges

Oleg Tinkov, the founder of TCS group which includes Russia’s popular retail bank Tinkoff, is currently facing extradition to the United States after being accused of filing faulty tax returns – a crime that could see the billionaire businessman faces up to six years in prison, as both counts he is accused of carries a maximum sentence of three years.
Adding to the intrigue of the case was a statement by Tinkov on March 6 that he is currently battling an acute case of leukaemia. Tinkov said the illness was diagnosed in October and that he decided to go public with his condition only now because of widespread speculation surrounding his withdrawal from public view.
The Department of Justice said that Tinkov is accused of concealing $1 billion in assets and income from the US’ tax authorities when he renounced his US citizenship in 2013, which required him to report his assets following a float of TCS group’s shares on the London stock exchange.
A UK court issued a warrant for Tinkov’s arrest in February, but he reportedly posted bail of some £20 million ($26 million) and is able to remain free.
Tinkoff bank was launched in 2006 and has expanded from credit cards to full-service retail banking. Tinkov owns a 40% stake in TCS, but delegates the day-to-day management of the bank to its British CEO, Oliver Hughes.
The London-listed bank is one of Russia’s most popular stocks among investors, who own 53% of its publicly traded shares.
Tinkov was arrested in London last month on a provisional warrant at the request of the US, according to court documents. The extradition hearings will not decide Tinkov’s innocence or guilt, only on whether the allegations constituted a criminal offence in the UK and actual extradition from the UK can take years