← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Centinel
Thread ID: 17510 | Posts: 8 | Started: 2005-03-25
2005-03-25 11:26 | User Profile
From The Financial Times: [url]http://www.rense.com/general63/oky.htm[/url]
**Russian Oligarchs Flee To Safety In Israel
Yukos Oil Fugitives Find Safe Haven In The Promised Land **
The Financial Times - UK By Harvey Morris March 22, 2005
For the Russian government, they are allegedly dangerous criminals who have made off with billions in unpaid taxes and are wanted on charges that range from embezzlement to murder. For Israel, they are potential valued investors in the country's slowly reviving economy.
Two of Israel's normally publicity-shy Russian "oligarchs" this week surfaced to announce their first investment in Israel since they sought refuge there 18 months ago in the wake of the debacle over Yukos, the Russian oil company.
In an interview with the FT, Leonid Nevzlin and Michael Brudno, whose Menatep group owns 60 per cent of Yukos shares, outlined a business strategy based on the likelihood that they will not be returning to Russia anytime soon.
The two men live a hundred yards from each other in the affluent anonymity of Herzliya, an upscale suburb north of Tel Aviv. Propped against a wall of Mr. Nevzlin's living room is a "Free Khodorkovsky" placard in honour of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Yukos founder jailed in Russia in October, 2003 on tax evasion and fraud charges.
The two men and their partner, Vladimir Dubov, took out Israeli citizenship at about the same time, setting up home in Israel in the hope of avoiding extradition over their alleged role in the Yukos affair. As well as the fraud-related charges, Mr Nevzlin is also wanted in Russia for conspiracy to murder.
Mr Nevzlin rejected all the accusations against him and his partners and said they were part of an ideological campaign by Vladimir Putin, Russian president, against the Russian private sector. "It has been totally developed by the [former] KGB, which has a lack of tolerance for anything it does not control. This is a long-term consequence of Stalinism."
Yukos lost 60 per cent of its oil production capacity when the Russian government ordered it to sell off its main subsidiary in December to pay back-taxes. The buyer, state-owned Rosneft, has since filed an $11bn suit against Yukos.
Mr Nevzlin said: "The Yukos story is not over yet. The volume of illegal tax claims would be enough to confiscate the rest of the company."
Describing the Rosneft claim as "complete bullshit", Mr Brudno claimed it had been filed on orders from the Kremlin.
Announcing their investment in Israel, the two men said Menatep was acquiring a stake in the holding company of Israel Petroleum Enterprises.
They said they would be looking into further investments in fields within the group's area of expertise. Menatep already has about $100m invested in telecoms companies in eastern Europe.
Although the Russian tycoons have maintained a low profile since moving to Israel, they have not managed to escape controversy.
Mr Nevzlin's name was among those raised in connection with a current Israeli police investigation into the alleged laundering of at least $500m through a branch of Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest bank.
"I've had no problems with the authorities," he said. "Everything is quite transparent if you look at my assets. So much time has passed since they started the investigation, they would have had a chance to look at my accounts."
In an indication of how important Israel regards investment, Benjamin Netanyahu, finance minister, recently said the money-laundering case had been blown out of proportion.
"Israel will lose a lot if some TV viewers think that the country does not need immigrants from the former Soviet Union and can afford to reject investments," he told the RTV1 satellite channel, owned by Vladimir Gusinsky, an exiled Russian media magnate.
2005-03-25 12:05 | User Profile
Mr. Putin has the rats running back to their nest. :clap: Good for him!
'If the reader is astonished to find the Jewish hand everywhere in the affair of the assassination of the Russian Imperial Family, he must bear in mind the formidable numerical preponderance of Jews in the Soviet Administration.' ~Robert Wilton~
2005-03-25 12:06 | User Profile
Marc Rich must also live nearby. Just think, if Abe Foxman were exposed as a theif and ran off to Israel, there would be enough people for them to play Bridge games in the afternoon when they weren't ripping someone off.
2005-03-29 03:14 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Centinel] [The Financial Times - UK By Harvey Morris]...
In an indication of how important Israel regards investment, Benjamin Netanyahu, finance minister, recently said the money-laundering case had been blown out of proportion. ...[/QUOTE] Any scumbag can buy his refuge in Israel... as long as they're a Jew.
Oh well... at least Mikhail Khodorkovsky is in the clink.
:cheers:
2005-03-29 05:31 | User Profile
[QUOTE=vytis]Mr. Putin has the rats running back to their nest. :clap: Good for him!
'If the reader is astonished to find the Jewish hand everywhere in the affair of the assassination of the Russian Imperial Family, he must bear in mind the formidable numerical preponderance of Jews in the Soviet Administration.' ~Robert Wilton~[/QUOTE]
I don't think finessing of transfers from Russian to Israeli oil interests under the guise of cleaning house translates to "rats on the run" from Putin. Rats running his maze, perhaps.
But the whole idea's particularly odd in light of your signature. Have you ever borne in mind the formidable numerical preponderance of Soviets in the Jewish State's administration?
2005-04-27 16:26 | User Profile
[url]http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=908463&fid=942[/url]
Gov't sources: Israel won't extradite oligarchs to Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to arrive in Israel tonight. Noam Sharvit 27 Apr 05 15:02 Russian President Vladimir Putin's staff recently told Israeli officials that during his visit to Israel, which begins this evening, Putin might ask Israel to extradite oligarchs to Russia.
The oligarchs are Jewish businessmen whom the Russian authorities suspect of committing economic and other crimes, and who fled Russia after arrest warrants were issued against them. The Jewish businessmen claim that the warrants are politically motivated. The Jewish businessmen include Vladimir Gussinsky, Vladimir Dubov, Mikhail (Misha) Chernoy, Leonid Nevzlin, and Mikhail Brudno. Other oligarchs reside in the UK and other European countries.
The Russian media reports that several Yukos (RTS:YUKO) shareholders are suspected of commissioning the assassination of Putin, who has assaulted the company because its heads supported the political opposition in Russia. The reports claim that Yukos shareholders paid $200 million to a group of criminals from the Russian Caucasus province of Dagestan to assassinate Putin. The shareholders allegedly wanted then-Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to be appointed president instead of Putin, because Kasyanov "would not cause them any problems".
Putin claims that the oligarchs, some of whom have found refuge in Israel, fraudulently sent billions of dollars out of Russia, and that some of this money is in Israel. Nevzlin, Dubov, and Brudno, for example, moved to Israel less than two years ago, subsequently launching worldwide businesses.
The Prime Minister's Bureau said last week that there was no intention of acceding to a demand for the oligarchs' extradition. Senior officials in Jerusalem said today that if Putin or one of his staff asks for the extradition of Jewish businessmen residing in Israel, Israel would reject the request out of hand.
Israeli law forbids extradition. Although Israel has signed an extradition treaty with Russia, Article 1 of the Extradition Law (5714-1954) stipulates that Israel may extradite only a person who "committed a crime while an Israeli citizen or resident". At least some of the oligarchs were not Israeli citizens or residents when they committed the alleged crimes for which Russia is seeking their extradition.
The Ministry of Justice said today that Russia had not filed any official request recently for the extradition of any of the oligarchs. Regarding extradition requests submitted outside the context of Putin's visit, the ministry said, "We cannot comment." So far as is known, the Russians submitted extradition requests when some oligarchs immigrated to Israel 18 months ago, and the Ministry of Justice is examining them
The oligarchs, headed by Nevzlin, this week opened an international campaign against the show trial the Russian government is currently conducting against former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is Jewish.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - [url]www.globes.co.il[/url] - on April 27, 2005
2005-04-27 16:32 | User Profile
Drakmal,
Ariel would climb the steps of a ten story building before he hands over his fellow tribesmen.
2005-04-27 21:58 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Sertorius]Drakmal,
Ariel would climb the steps of a ten story building before he hands over his fellow tribesmen.[/QUOTE]LOL. The ultimate punishment for that war criminal bastard would be to put him on a treadmill (or a Stairmaster!) and force him to exercise.