X-FILES FROM SARATOV
Izvestia, July 21, 2000
Serious infringements of the law concerning state secrets have been revealed in the Saratov region. According to Anatoly Tregub, Chief of the Saratov Department of the Federal Security Service,
officials of the regional government used to divulge state secrets to foreigners. Usually this happened when foreign delegations were received in the region. The regional administration used to circulate booklets with information about secret plants on the territory of the region.
TRAITOR DUDAEV
Izvestia, July 21, 2000, p. 1
The Rostov-on-Don court has considered the case of Russian servicemen, who joined ranks with Chechen guerrillas. This is an unprecedented event in the Northern Caucasian military district: 17 traitors appeared before the court.
In August 1995, Alexander Ardyshev left his military unit without permission and was taken prisoner by Chechen guerrillas. Chechens used to beat their prisoners and tried to force them to adopt Islam. In order to make his life easier, Ardyshev finally joined the Chechen guerrillas. He became a Moslem and chose a notorious name – Dudaev.
Ardyshev is accused of being a member of illegal armed groups and other crimes. In May 1998, he was exchanged for a Chechen guerrilla, who was being kept in the Lefortovo prison. The court has sentenced him to nine years of imprisonment.
ANTUAN SHATEN: "WE WILL NOT SEIZE YOUR TRAINS"
Izvestia, July 21, 2000, p.2
Antuan Shaten is a young lawyer. Precisely this man delivered a serious blow to the national pride of Russia, when he seized the sailing ship “Sedov.” Why did he do it?
Antuan Shaten: “I visited Brittany with my family on vacation. There I read about the regatta and the visit of ‘Sedov.’ We checked and it turned out that the sailing ship is the property of the state. After that, I decided to seize the vessel.”
Question: Do you really intend to sell the sailing ship at an auction?
Shaten: Of course. If the sale of “Sedov” covers the sum of the debt, the NOGA company will not lay a new claim on the Russian government. I hope that we will manage to raise between $30 and $70 million.
Q: Are you sure it is so easy to sell a unique sailing ship? Only rich countries or museums will be able to maintain it. Won’t the buyer of ship run into conflict with Russia after such a scandal?
Shaten: There are so many rich people in Russia. Why don’t they buy the sailing ship and return it to their country?
Q: Aren’t you worried about the fate of the crew?
Shaten: I have nothing against them. All we want is to force Russia to admit that it owes money to NOGA. The Russian government has been ignoring the decision of the international economic court for three years. We will not stop until we return the sum of the debt.
Q: Does it mean that you will continue confiscating planes, ships and trains on the territory of France?
Shaten: It is hardly likely that we will seize trains. Actually, the property of the Russian Federation in France is estimated at hundreds of million dollars. Vladimir Putin has to pay attention to this situation and pay his debt to NOGA.
KASYANOV IS INVOLVED IN A SHADY DEAL WITH AN IMF CREDIT
Moskovsky Komsomolets, July 21, 2000, pp. 1, 4
After Putin’s departure abroad, a scandal broke out within the high echelons of power. A few foreign newspaper published an ugly story connected with the name of Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.
Judging by these publications, everything happened as follows. In summer of 1998, the IMF gave Russia $4.8 billion to save the Russian democracy. But this money never appeared in Russia.
This sum was only part of a huge credit that was intended to rescue the Russian financial system. The negotiations concerning this credit were conducted by Mikhail Kasyanov.
Where did this money disappear to? Western journalists state that the path of this money is known. On August 14, 1998, the Federal Reserve Bank transferred $4.8 billion to an account opened by Ost-West Handelsbank AG, Stephanstrasse, 1, 60313 in Germany, which is a branch of the Russian Central Bank. Ost-West Handelsbank has an account in a bank in Tichino. From this account, the money was transferred to secret accounts Lozana, Lugana and Geneva.
THE MAN WHO BROKE THROUGH A POLICE ENCIRCLEMENT TO PUTIN HAS NOT SUFFERRED.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No. 134 (2196), July 21, 2000
The visit of President Vladimir Putin to Blagoveshensk, where he held a meeting on the prospects of the development of the Far East, took place with a small incident. A man broke through a police encirclement at the entrance to the regional museum. Officers of the security services detained him, but the president ordered that he released and his request be noted.
Vladimir Putin also held a press conference, at which he explained his point of view on the problems of the Far East and Siberia.
In addition, he commented on yesterday’s decision of the Duma on the parcel of draft laws on the reform of the Federation Council. He stated that the decision of the Duma is positive and aimed at preserving a balance of power. But according to Putin, this balance must be controlled by representatives of the regional leadership.
