Did the Russian Minister Get under the 312th Paragraph of “Patriotic Act” of the USA Providing Responsibility for “Foreign Corruption” and “Laundering”?

As it became known, authorities of the British Virgin Islands informed the Ministry of Justice of the USA that there were "numerous proofs" that the Russian minister of information technologies and communications Leonid Rejman secretly, through offshore fund owned a significant share of the Russian telecommunication branch. Influential American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" writes about it.

 

The Office of Public Prosecutor of the British Virgin Islands approves that it is going to bring charges to one of business partners of Leonid Rejman who ostensibly hides a role of the Russian minister in investments into the telecommunication companies.

 

The police of the British Virgin Islands investigates, whether offshore fund under the name "IPOC International Growth Fund Ltd" is a "disguise for laundering of incomes of illegal activity of some persons including the Russian Minister of Communications Leonid Rejman". It was written in August to the Ministry of Justice of the USA by Terrence Williams - the director of State Public Prosecutor Office.

 

In Williams's letter included into a package of documents which represents official reference to the USA, is affirmed that there are "numerous proofs" that Rejman secretly owns through IPOC a significant share of the Russian industry of telecommunications. Williams informed, that authorities of the British Virgin Islands are going to bring charges to business partner of the minister - Danish lawyer Dzheffri Golmond - in false witness and interference with judicature as he, according to investigation version, hides the role of Rejman in this business.

 

The Office of Public Prosecutor of the British Virgin Islands started own investigation in 2004 after the judicial suit between a number of offshore companies registered on the British Virgin Islands and investing means in the Russian industry of telecommunications which took place in Tortola. Williams noted that he addressed for help to the USA as other companies involved in that business were registered there.

 

The Office of Public Prosecutor of the British Virgin Islands as well as one of the civil tribunals of Switzerland approve Rejman secretly  owns share investment fund IPOC registered on Bermudas at Golmond's intermediary.

 

An original cause of criminal case - dispute for the rights for 25%' share holding of "Megaphone", one of the largest operators of mobile communication in Russia, between Michael Fridman's "Alpha-group" and IPOC.

 

To the proofs that IPOC belongs to Rejman the leading article in "Wall Street Journal" was already devoted one year ago. Golmond, being for a long time Rejman's lawyer, testifying under oath in courts of the British Virgin Islands and other countries approved that he owned the actives in the Russian industry of telecommunications in total cost of approximately 2 billion dollars. To prove that he had means for the purchase of that share holding and other investments in the Russian industry of telecommunication he asserted a number of contracts and agreements about consulting services between a number of companies and his own companies.

 

The Office of Public Prosecutor of the British Virgin Islands addresses for help to the USA as many of the companies appearing in the agreements are "blank check companies" registered in Delaware, Kentucky and other states of USA.

 

"We believe that data about transfers of means between IPOC and the group of companies belonging to him, as well as arrangements about consulting services" and also "numerous" proofs that Rejman is the true owner of IPOC "prove that IPOC and the group of companies belonging to him are fictitious or paper enterprises created with the purpose to hide true facts about sources of incomes of the companies IPOC and its true shareholder-beneficiary", Terrence Williams writes.

 

Making comments by phone from Kiev on the development of criminal case around "Megaphone" political scientist Vladimir Filin said:

 

"Leonid Rejman - is far not the only Russian minister who has got under the action of the 312-th paragraph of the American "Patriotic Act" providing responsibility for "foreign corruption" and "laundering". His opposition with "Alpha" has old history. But it does not mean that the main reason of the present activization of Rejman's case in the West became wrecking from the part of Michael Fridman.

 

The Russian political analysts are assured in the return. They say: Rejman "was ordered" by the competitors, they also financed "bulldoze" having corrupted foreign Office of Public Prosecutor. If these events take place in Moscow if suddenly Investigatory Committee or Basmanny court suddenly becomes active, I would agree with analysts on all 100%. But we are talking about abroad. Therefore, agreeing, maybe, on many details I categorically do not agree in the main thing. "Alpha" is not the main reason of Rejman's misadventures, even if "Alpha" itself thinks like that now.

 

Explanations of the event given by Moscow political scientists and analysts of special services have reminded me a story with attraction of the western PR-agencies for creation of favorable image of putin's Russia abroad. It was much spoken before it that Berezovsky, Gusinsky and Nevzlin ostensibly paid services of leading American PR managers who working off money blackened Putin. Say, if the Kremlin will make the same, it will pay more than oligarches, image is possible to correct easily as well as to receive "kick-backs".

 

I do not know, what about "kick-backs" (to be more exact, I know but I shall not tell). Only it turned out that not everything in this world depend on money. Money didn't help to improve image of the Kremlin and wouldn't help any more. Because a question is not in them but that so-called Russian elite is sentenced to rigid clearing off which is fatal and not far off.

 

To explain to the Russian audience why it's so is extremely difficult. I myself, being engaged in political journalism, constantly collide with the fact that in Russia no one, except for maybe two-three political scientists, understand motives which are my bjects.

 

It's ok if it would be a question of "city madmen" and "pique waistcoats" writing comments on forums in the Internet - they are pardonable. But full misunderstanding is shown by those who consider themselves as intellectual elite of a society, political analysts, including close to the Kremlin and special services.

 

Some people say that I am ostensibly paid by Berezovsky. But Berezovsky doesn't pay to me, as well as I don't pay to him. Others approve that I simply advertise myself. But what is my reason for it? The third name among my customers Surkov, Sechin or Cherkesov. But it's also wrong, I don't work with the Kremlin terrarium, I sincerely and deeply despise all its inhabitants headed by Putin.

 

To say to Moscow "intellectuals" that I work for my country, for the Ukraine, is useless, in Russia it will not be understood. There is only one concept in Russia - "green", such concepts as ideas, belief, non-material values in Russia are not present.

 

Now the problem connected with loss of spiritual ancestors in the countries of the Europe is widely discussed. Say, while in the American remote places Christian churches are full of parishioners, in the Europe they are empty. It's not absolutely so, if to take such European countries as Lithuania, Poland, the western areas of the Ukraine, Croatia, Armenia, partly Georgia, Serbia. Except for Serbia morally broken in the last decade super active displays, political decisions based on ideology and not on financial profit, sacrifice in the name of idea are possible in the named countries.

 

By virtue of it, the listed countries and people sooner or later will inevitably win their enemies, will disgrace ill-wishers. Whereas other Christian peoples are doomed to defeats. The same Russia having won the Chechens on a battlefield, nevertheless, lost the war if to estimate its real results - de facto independent, ethnically pure Chechen Republic with own orders, own army, own policy.

 

Russia living at Putin following vicious principle "oil in exchange for foodstuffs" lost also other war, which rate is incommensurable higher - its own state existence in present format. However, neither Russian "elite", nor people realize it yet. Moscow "intellectual elite" for some reason in general has an opinion that everything is being decided in the Kremlin, that the Kremlin is a center of the universe.

 

In practice, in the modern global world even Berlin, Paris, Tel Aviv, Pekin and Shanghai - are either already, or still, not the world centers. Washington, New York, partly London - yes, these are the world centers. Meanwhile the Kremlin, Moscow - is deep world province, hopeless periphery.

 

The Kremlin games remind me children's joke about a fight for a small house of a forester, the one in which in the end the forester came back to the house and threw away both clashed parties in known direction. It's the same now, only it's not a kind forester from a childhood who is knocking the door but an ugly Reaper who comes to take away its inhabitants.

 

Time "X" comes nearer. But I do not call Russian "elite" to surrender in captivity, to go ahead with lifted hands. It is senseless as "elite" when they will feel that present "dolce far niente" comes to the end, will run one after another to yield themselves prisoners and such as Rejman's "Alpha". Some people will be lucky more or less to remain in a waiting room, but a greater part should wait for clearing off.

 

And what about the country? Its future - in its own hands. After the rests of the Soviet nuclear complex and oil-and-gas resources of Siberia and the Far East will be put under international control, that remains in a new format will turn loose. And then it will depend on people what will occur: slow movement in direction of the Europe due to persistent work and not due to free petrodollars or fast movement towards the central Africa which is not interested and is not necessary to anybody in this world".