|
|
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/investigators-find-fortunes-in-homes-of-ex-ministers-341153.html
Just one police raid on March 21 on a property that belonged to former Energy Minister Eduard Stavitsky uncovered a fortune that cannot be explained by his $15,000 in earnings declared last year.
“One safe was completely stuffed with cash – about $5 million. Another safe was fully stuffed with gold and jewelry – 50 kilograms of gold bars, and jewelry made of various metals – gold, platinum and diamonds,” Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitskiy said on March 22.
The previous day, Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies searched 32 different premises that belonged to Stavitsky and another former top official, Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk. In his flat, he kept $300,000 and Hr 800,000 in cash, among other things. Both ministers were a part of overthrown President Viktor Yanukovych’s close circle. They could not be reached for comment.
The raids also yielded many title deeds to land, ownership documents of offshore and other companies and details of various bank accounts that would be enough to keep law enforcers busy for months, untangling webs of business deals and chasing stolen assets.
The oil and gas industry, which has given birth to many billionaires over the past two decades, remained the center of corrupt deals under the previous government. Yuriy Prodan, the energy minister, told the Kyiv Post that Kurchenko’s companies acted as intermediaries in the gas industry, buying gas from national importer Naftogaz Ukraine, reselling to end consumers and failing to pay the state in the process.
“The gas was simply sold to a fake firm. The firm is no longer there, and the person who signed these agreements is also no longer there,” Prodan said.
He said other schemes were related to liquefied gas auctions, which is supposed to be supplied to households. “The gas did not go to supply the population, only a third of it went to supply the population. The gas was bought (at auctions) at Hr 2,000 at 1,000 cubic meters, and then was resold at gas stations and sold at Hr 10,000 for 1,000 cubic meters,” Prodan said. Similar schemes were used in the coal industry.
Naftogaz’s former chief, Yevhen Bakulin, was detained on March 21. Two days later, a local court in Kyiv ruled to arrest him or offer a bail of Hr 1.5 billion, reflecting the gravity of his alleged financial crimes.
Teimur Bagirov, a former member of Naftogaz’s board, said that, under Yanukovych, people who acted in his name did not bother covering up the schemes. “The Donetsk guys thought they came forever,” he says. Bagirov adds that the company was constructed specially for the purpose of siphoning off cash though various schemes, and each consecutive government has built on them.
|
On March 29 2014 06:59 Sub40APM wrote:http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/investigators-find-fortunes-in-homes-of-ex-ministers-341153.htmlShow nested quote +Just one police raid on March 21 on a property that belonged to former Energy Minister Eduard Stavitsky uncovered a fortune that cannot be explained by his $15,000 in earnings declared last year.
“One safe was completely stuffed with cash – about $5 million. Another safe was fully stuffed with gold and jewelry – 50 kilograms of gold bars, and jewelry made of various metals – gold, platinum and diamonds,” Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitskiy said on March 22.
The previous day, Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies searched 32 different premises that belonged to Stavitsky and another former top official, Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk. In his flat, he kept $300,000 and Hr 800,000 in cash, among other things. Both ministers were a part of overthrown President Viktor Yanukovych’s close circle. They could not be reached for comment.
The raids also yielded many title deeds to land, ownership documents of offshore and other companies and details of various bank accounts that would be enough to keep law enforcers busy for months, untangling webs of business deals and chasing stolen assets.
The oil and gas industry, which has given birth to many billionaires over the past two decades, remained the center of corrupt deals under the previous government. Yuriy Prodan, the energy minister, told the Kyiv Post that Kurchenko’s companies acted as intermediaries in the gas industry, buying gas from national importer Naftogaz Ukraine, reselling to end consumers and failing to pay the state in the process.
“The gas was simply sold to a fake firm. The firm is no longer there, and the person who signed these agreements is also no longer there,” Prodan said.
He said other schemes were related to liquefied gas auctions, which is supposed to be supplied to households. “The gas did not go to supply the population, only a third of it went to supply the population. The gas was bought (at auctions) at Hr 2,000 at 1,000 cubic meters, and then was resold at gas stations and sold at Hr 10,000 for 1,000 cubic meters,” Prodan said. Similar schemes were used in the coal industry.
Naftogaz’s former chief, Yevhen Bakulin, was detained on March 21. Two days later, a local court in Kyiv ruled to arrest him or offer a bail of Hr 1.5 billion, reflecting the gravity of his alleged financial crimes.
Teimur Bagirov, a former member of Naftogaz’s board, said that, under Yanukovych, people who acted in his name did not bother covering up the schemes. “The Donetsk guys thought they came forever,” he says. Bagirov adds that the company was constructed specially for the purpose of siphoning off cash though various schemes, and each consecutive government has built on them.
Dear god that's disgusting. I hope justice will find its way and punish these f****** bastards.
|
On March 28 2014 23:28 zeo wrote:Show nested quote +On March 28 2014 23:01 Cheerio wrote:72% of russians consider it acceptible to conceal some information in the news when its required, and 54% are confident that its ok to distort information to protect the interests of the state. http://fom.ru/SMI-i-internet/11427 How is this different from the people in the US and EU that say that Snowden and Assange are traitors?
People think those guys are traitors not because they think it's okay "to distort information to protect the interests of the state." They think Assange is a traitor because he released his information willy-nilly without checking it to see if it endangered lives. They think Snowden is a traitor because he fled to Russia and is presumably cooperating with Russian security services. If Snowden had just released his information in the careful way he did, then stood trial (or at least fled to a democracy), he would be a hero. As it was, he has sought aid and comfort from the Chinese and Russian governments. That is why people call him a traitor. (Never mind that if he had just dropped it on Rand Paul's desk he would have gotten away scott-free).
There is reality distortion from time to time in Western media, but there are enough sources to challenge each other, and the governments of liberal democracies generally stay out the media's way. Even Obama's leek-happy prosecutions hardly change the overall picture.
|
Actually I think most Danes would consider Snowden a hero regardless. It seems a lot of the people I have talked with consider it shameful that we didn't offer him refuge.
|
On March 29 2014 07:51 Ghostcom wrote:
Actually I think most Danes would consider Snowden a hero regardless. It seems a lot of the people I have talked with consider it shameful that we didn't offer him refuge.
The public opinion on Snowden compared to the government one is a massive difference.
probably because the public didnt have the US leaning on them like happened to the governments that considered sheltering him.
|
UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Reuters) - Russia threatened several Eastern European and Central Asian states with retaliation if they voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution this week declaring invalid Crimea's referendum on seceding from Ukraine, U.N. diplomats said.
The disclosures about Russian threats came after Moscow accused Western countries of using "shameless pressure, up to the point of political blackmail and economic threats," in an attempt to coerce the United Nations' 193 member states to join it in supporting the non-binding resolution on the Ukraine crisis.
According to interviews with U.N. diplomats, most of whom preferred to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of angering Moscow, the targets of Russian threats included Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as a number of African countries.
A spokesman for Russia's Mission to the U.N. denied that Moscow threatened any country with retaliation if it supported the resolution, saying: "We never threaten anyone. We just explain the situation."
Source
|
On March 29 2014 07:48 Yoav wrote:Show nested quote +On March 28 2014 23:28 zeo wrote:On March 28 2014 23:01 Cheerio wrote:72% of russians consider it acceptible to conceal some information in the news when its required, and 54% are confident that its ok to distort information to protect the interests of the state. http://fom.ru/SMI-i-internet/11427 How is this different from the people in the US and EU that say that Snowden and Assange are traitors? People think those guys are traitors not because they think it's okay "to distort information to protect the interests of the state." They think Assange is a traitor because he released his information willy-nilly without checking it to see if it endangered lives. They think Snowden is a traitor because he fled to Russia and is presumably cooperating with Russian security services. If Snowden had just released his information in the careful way he did, then stood trial (or at least fled to a democracy), he would be a hero. As it was, he has sought aid and comfort from the Chinese and Russian governments. That is why people call him a traitor. (Never mind that if he had just dropped it on Rand Paul's desk he would have gotten away scott-free). There is reality distortion from time to time in Western media, but there are enough sources to challenge each other, and the governments of liberal democracies generally stay out the media's way. Even Obama's leek-happy prosecutions hardly change the overall picture.
Where else could he have gone?
Which democracies are you talking about?
He tried to get into other countries but they refused to let them in due to their connections to the USA, that includes Germany.
|
On March 29 2014 08:46 SilentchiLL wrote:Show nested quote +On March 29 2014 07:48 Yoav wrote:On March 28 2014 23:28 zeo wrote:On March 28 2014 23:01 Cheerio wrote:72% of russians consider it acceptible to conceal some information in the news when its required, and 54% are confident that its ok to distort information to protect the interests of the state. http://fom.ru/SMI-i-internet/11427 How is this different from the people in the US and EU that say that Snowden and Assange are traitors? People think those guys are traitors not because they think it's okay "to distort information to protect the interests of the state." They think Assange is a traitor because he released his information willy-nilly without checking it to see if it endangered lives. They think Snowden is a traitor because he fled to Russia and is presumably cooperating with Russian security services. If Snowden had just released his information in the careful way he did, then stood trial (or at least fled to a democracy), he would be a hero. As it was, he has sought aid and comfort from the Chinese and Russian governments. That is why people call him a traitor. (Never mind that if he had just dropped it on Rand Paul's desk he would have gotten away scott-free). There is reality distortion from time to time in Western media, but there are enough sources to challenge each other, and the governments of liberal democracies generally stay out the media's way. Even Obama's leek-happy prosecutions hardly change the overall picture. Where else could he have gone? Which democracies are you talking about? He tried to get into other countries but they refused to let them in due to their connections to the USA, that includes Germany.
Obviously he should have done the same thing as Manning and get thrown into a dark cell where he is kept until the world has forgotten he exists.
|
"It's not a threat, just a promise."
That is so deep into bad crime-movies and mafia-flicks, not sure if i believe that. I don't have a high opinion of russian officials, but to think that they're retarded enough to openly admit blackmailing, ..
Well. Wonder what Zeo has to say about that, or Wonderful.
|
On March 29 2014 08:50 Gorsameth wrote:Show nested quote +On March 29 2014 08:46 SilentchiLL wrote:On March 29 2014 07:48 Yoav wrote:On March 28 2014 23:28 zeo wrote:On March 28 2014 23:01 Cheerio wrote:72% of russians consider it acceptible to conceal some information in the news when its required, and 54% are confident that its ok to distort information to protect the interests of the state. http://fom.ru/SMI-i-internet/11427 How is this different from the people in the US and EU that say that Snowden and Assange are traitors? People think those guys are traitors not because they think it's okay "to distort information to protect the interests of the state." They think Assange is a traitor because he released his information willy-nilly without checking it to see if it endangered lives. They think Snowden is a traitor because he fled to Russia and is presumably cooperating with Russian security services. If Snowden had just released his information in the careful way he did, then stood trial (or at least fled to a democracy), he would be a hero. As it was, he has sought aid and comfort from the Chinese and Russian governments. That is why people call him a traitor. (Never mind that if he had just dropped it on Rand Paul's desk he would have gotten away scott-free). There is reality distortion from time to time in Western media, but there are enough sources to challenge each other, and the governments of liberal democracies generally stay out the media's way. Even Obama's leek-happy prosecutions hardly change the overall picture. Where else could he have gone? Which democracies are you talking about? He tried to get into other countries but they refused to let them in due to their connections to the USA, that includes Germany. Obviously he should have done the same thing as Manning and get thrown into a dark cell where he is kept until the world has forgotten he exists.
Yes, its quite shameful that the only choices someone like Snowden had was brutalization in America or working for Putin.
|
On March 29 2014 08:57 m4ini wrote:
"It's not a threat, just a promise."
That is so deep into bad crime-movies and mafia-flicks, not sure if i believe that. I don't have a high opinion of russian officials, but to think that they're retarded enough to openly admit blackmailing, ..
Well. Wonder what Zeo has to say about that, or Wonderful.
lol I'm waiting for zeo/wonderufl/paleman to reply with: "but US did worse!"
User was warned for this post
|
If snowden had only stolen documents concerning what he was initially complaining about, I could understand people getting behind him. But most of what he stole concerned the US's capability of spying on foreign countries, including for example Russia. He then fled to Russia, they suddenly changed up things and we are no longer intercepting communications, and then they start invading and annexing their neighbors.
People love to complain, but countries spy on each other. Germany does, UK does, USA does, Russia does, China does, France does, etc.
|
People love to complain, but countries spy on each other. Germany does, UK does, USA does, Russia does, China does, France does, etc.
Oh i don't give a shit if they tap Merkels phone. Germany does not surveil american citizens in the US, don't be ridiculous. There's a reason why german BND dudes used NSA equipment, it's because we have nowhere near the capabilities. Spying != spying, there's a difference between industrial espionage and basically surveilling the privacy of a whole different country.
People love to complain, but those people have every right to do so. As much as i hate the anti-american posts here, i do hate the "pfff, no big deal anyway" idiocy of some americans.
It is a pretty big deal. Not to mention that he didn't got screwed because he revealed that the US is spying on russia, or "including russia". Nobody would give a flying shit about china and russia, and you damn well know it.
On a sidenote, carry that to the snowden-thread.
|
The land of freedom23126 Posts
On March 29 2014 09:14 hunts wrote:Show nested quote +On March 29 2014 08:57 m4ini wrote:
"It's not a threat, just a promise."
That is so deep into bad crime-movies and mafia-flicks, not sure if i believe that. I don't have a high opinion of russian officials, but to think that they're retarded enough to openly admit blackmailing, ..
Well. Wonder what Zeo has to say about that, or Wonderful. lol I'm waiting for zeo/wonderufl/paleman to reply with: "but US did worse!"
Show me at least once where i said this shit.
On March 29 2014 08:57 m4ini wrote:
"It's not a threat, just a promise."
That is so deep into bad crime-movies and mafia-flicks, not sure if i believe that. I don't have a high opinion of russian officials, but to think that they're retarded enough to openly admit blackmailing, ..
Well. Wonder what Zeo has to say about that, or Wonderful.
About Snowden or what?
Ah, got this, sec, will read.
Welp, i said here yesterday that our ambassador said that big Western players went ham on lesser ones to pressure, but i guess, it might be same from our side. Don't think that threat are real, probably our elite just act like everyone by trying to get as much as possible.
|
On March 29 2014 04:59 Ghanburighan wrote:
I wrote the spoilered part about Barry, but I think it's all off topic, so can we please get back to ignoring Zeo, Nunez and Paleman? Don't you guys remember the nonsense they've written in the past? Do you think the past weeks have changed the quality of their posts? If not, just leave them be. Consider their posts filler and move on.
stop acting like a child ghan: 'ignore' the 'trolls' from an 'alternative reality'.
oh my god.
attempting to label an adward winning journalist on cia conspiracy theories a 'cia conspiracy theorist' as a way to defame him is just about the most idiotic thing i've read in this thread. and thinking you can hold lectures on journalism is quite astounding. didn't you gleefully post fraudulent reporting on voter turnout? yep.
seb's other arguments 'he's old' or contortimg his article into some ridicolous one-liner strawman don't amount to much either.
@seb i think zeo summed up your linkage pretty good
On March 02 2014 07:18 zeo wrote:
Oh look, another blog/opinion piece by a propaganda writer for Foreign Policy. Yawn
@deb what are you talking about? i'm referring to the free press index. the govt/media tried its heart out at censoring every one of the examples you mention btw, i'm sure you're well aware. and look at how the muppet-show view parry, lol.
i take it you have given up on making your case and you're going full force on at least getting a 'thanks obama' out of it through irrelevant or misconstrued anecdotes? flamebaiting bitch, eh? that's cute.
|
It's not unreasonable to ignore trolls, indeed not feeding the trolls is a recommended practice. So I don't see why you'd object to someone saying to ignore the trolls.
|
can't you see my clever quotation marks?
|
Yes; to me it read as sarcasm; as if you were implying that ghan's comment to ignore the trolls is unwarranted and silly.
|
On March 29 2014 08:50 Gorsameth wrote:Show nested quote +On March 29 2014 08:46 SilentchiLL wrote:On March 29 2014 07:48 Yoav wrote:On March 28 2014 23:28 zeo wrote:On March 28 2014 23:01 Cheerio wrote:72% of russians consider it acceptible to conceal some information in the news when its required, and 54% are confident that its ok to distort information to protect the interests of the state. http://fom.ru/SMI-i-internet/11427 How is this different from the people in the US and EU that say that Snowden and Assange are traitors? People think those guys are traitors not because they think it's okay "to distort information to protect the interests of the state." They think Assange is a traitor because he released his information willy-nilly without checking it to see if it endangered lives. They think Snowden is a traitor because he fled to Russia and is presumably cooperating with Russian security services. If Snowden had just released his information in the careful way he did, then stood trial (or at least fled to a democracy), he would be a hero. As it was, he has sought aid and comfort from the Chinese and Russian governments. That is why people call him a traitor. (Never mind that if he had just dropped it on Rand Paul's desk he would have gotten away scott-free). There is reality distortion from time to time in Western media, but there are enough sources to challenge each other, and the governments of liberal democracies generally stay out the media's way. Even Obama's leek-happy prosecutions hardly change the overall picture. Where else could he have gone? Which democracies are you talking about? He tried to get into other countries but they refused to let them in due to their connections to the USA, that includes Germany. Obviously he should have done the same thing as Manning and get thrown into a dark cell where he is kept until the world has forgotten he exists.
Chelsea Manning released a vast amount of documents with no checks or safeguards. Snowden gave his documents to reputable news organizations, leaving it to them to sift through and prevent any danger to individuals or groups around the world. One of these people was going down without a chance of redemption. One would have had a good shot in court of a reduced sentence.
If Snowden had stood trial, he would have been a national hero. Yes, it sucks that doing so meant a good chance of a serious personal sacrifice, but I don't think that sacrifice could possibly be imagined to represent a greater evil than handing over state secrets to China and/or Russia.
On Topic: The way we got here was discussing the difference between the Russian and Western press. I think the Russian press' position has been made quite clear over the last few weeks, and I think the West's press has done an awful lot of good in the way they have responsibly called politicians to account for their illegal actions. Whether the public takes action is another matter, but the press is clearly unafraid to criticize the government.
|
Poroshenko gains a major endorsement! He was the favourite before, now he is almost guaranteed to win.
***
Analysis of the effects is scarce, but here's something:
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
