About the second article of accusations. According to the Kommersant newspaper (1999 issue 32) Putin has taken part in the selling of the Astoria hotel. In fact, a tender on selling 40% of this hotel’s actions was held in Saint Petersburg and supposedly Putin tried to increase his share holding by buying it, but he failed. The actions went to the owner of the alcohol beverages factory A.F.B.-2 A. Sabadash. In response Putin supposedly (according to the Stringer Newspaper November 2000) has threatened to demolish the factory but by the end of 1998, still according to the newspaper, the conflict was finally solved and Putin was paid compensation – $800 thousand. Putin has participated a few other times in the hotel business: he invited foreigners to the hotels Evropa and Nevski Palace.
Apart from this, the deputies of the Petrosovet had questions about Putin’s participation in the privatization of the Baltic Sea steamship line, whose control permitted to organize the selling of ships to the West at dumping prices. According to the Versia newspaper (1999, issue 31) and the Stringer newspaper this operation was conducted through a certain I. I. Truber, supposedly a “criminal authority”. The newspapers also mentioned Putin’s participation in the privatization of the alcohol beverages factory Samtrest again supposedly through the “criminal authority” M. M. Mirilashvili, Misha Kutaissky.
About the third article of the accusations. In 1992, as it was mentioned earlier, an investigation of Putin’s Committee activities was organized. Public hearings were held about the results of the investigation. Putin has then acknowledged the errors, part of the contracts was canceled and it was the deputy Anikin who paid for it all, as you remember he was fired.
Apart from this, the city’s Prosecutor General accused Putin of illegally giving a special permission for a gambling business to the firm Lennatraktzion. According to rumors, Putin who was responsible for the licensing of Saint Petersburg’s casinos was involved in unofficial fund raising as well.
About the fourth article of accusations. Stubborn rumors were circulating that Putin was acquiring real estate in France on Sobchak’s instructions. This information appeared in 1999 when Putin was appointed prime minister. However, supposedly, no evidence was found.
After Sobchak lost the Saint Petersburg’s governor elections, Putin was accused of organizing a week campaign (and even of betraying his boss). As a proof information was given that two days before the elections Putin has met on close terms with Vladimir Yakovlev – Sobchak’s opponent during two hours on March 17th. The mysterious fire at Putin’s dacha in Roshin in 1996 is worthy of mentioning since it was the elections year in Saint Petersburg. Who did this? And what for?
In 2000 the Stringer newspaper was rather harshly attacking the newly elected president, defaming and discrediting him. For instance, the following information shed light on the reason behind Putin’s hostility towards the oligarch Gusinsky. The newspaper has said that Putin took part in the privatization of Saint Petersburg’s 11th Channel and his sale to the Russian video Channel. Supposedly during this privatization a law was violated. A criminal case was opened. It was led by the senior investigator of the RF Prosecutor General U. M. Vanyushin mentioned earlier. Supposedly during the investigation it was discovered that D. Rozhdestvensky (the owner of Russian Video) has financed Putin’s wife’s trips abroad. We remind that later the main actor of this case Mikhail Mirilashvili fell under investigation in relation to this and the history of Most-Bank’s and Vladimir Gusinksy’s destruction began with the Russian Video. In fact some sources affirm that it was Gusinsky who initiated this episode of information war against Putin. Stringer wrote that at that time Putin tried to pressure the investigation in order to mask his involvement. Then it makes sense to largely cite the text of an informative-analytical note of the harshest anti-Putin content published by Stringer in November 2000:
“…When he was still Saint Petersburg’s vice-mayor Putin was responsible for licensing a series of casinos, receiving from $100 to $300 thousand for each license. Besides he is the founder of all elite clubs of the city.
Putin’s closest tie in commercial business is R. N. Tzepov, head of the security firm Baltic-Escort (it was founded by a certain Zolotov formerly head of A. Sobchak’s personal guard, now head of Putin’s personal guard). In 1994 Tzepov was charged with article 222 of the RF Criminal Code (illegal carrying and keeping of fire arms). Despite this Tzepov is a 7th section officer of Saint Petersburg’s Department of fight with organized crime. It was Tzepov who raised money during the licensing of the city’s gambling business. As an example we can name the Konti Casino, whose head Mirilashvili monthly pays a bribe to Putin through Tzepov. The firm Farmavit pays Putin $20 thousand a month. In 1995 Tzepov offered an emerald to Putin’s wife that he had won in a card game to the criminal authority Botzman. The latter has stolen the emerald in 1994 in South Korea. The emerald is wanted by the Interpol (1995-96 catalogue). Tzepov offers services to Putin on the condition that the latter will “cover” his activities. Through Putin Tzepov received five cover documents, among those RF Federal Security Service, RF Foreign Intelligence Service and RF Ministry of Internal Affairs. In March 1998 the deputy of the Prosecutor General Katishev reopened a criminal case on Tzepov. Presently Tzepov is hiding from criminal prosecution in the Czech Republic where he arrived with falsified documents (his papers were drawn up for a false name in Saint Petersburg’s FSB Department).
The main Special services that Putin relies on are the RF FSB and the Department of Fight against Organized Crime (RUBOP). RUBOP’s former heads Shakhanov and Milin together with Putin and the head of Saint Petersburg’s FSB department Grigoriev have organized A. Sobchak’s removal to France. On the eve of Sobchak’s interrogation by the Prosecutor General RUBOP’s SWAT team has brought Sobchak to the hospital on Putin’s demand, where the head of the Military Medical Academy Shevchenko established a sham diagnosis. Later the same sham diagnosis was established for Ruslan Linkov (witness of the attack on G. Staravoytova).
The criminal case of the investigator U. M. Vanyushin contains materials saying that in 1991 on the demand of Sobchak and Putin Shakhanov and Milin illegally searched Sobchak’s former assistant U. T. Shutov in order to confiscate Sobchak’s tape-recorded conversation with a fixed-spot spy of the French intelligence service. In 1992 an attack was organized on U. T. Shutov, which resulted in a brain injury. The victim was hospitalized.
The prosecution’s investigation brigade (U. M. Vanyushin) has materials saying that the former head of the specialized bureau of ritual services Makutov was monthly paying $30 thousand to Putin.
With the help of Saint Petersburg’s vice-governor Grishanov (former commander of the Baltic Fleet) Putin was selling ships from the military naval base through the Lomonosov Harbor.
This port situated on the territory of the former military naval base and created by Sobchak, Putin and Cherkesov is a transit point for smuggling raw materials from Russia and importing goods in our country. This work was done in particular by the Sea department of Russian Video.
In spring 1996 about $30 million were transferred to Sobchak’s pre-electoral campaign from the Tzarskoselsky Bank into a Swiss bank. The transfer was controlled by Putin, Cherkesov and Grigoriev. (The materials were kept by the head of the SKROSO FSB service B. O. Desyatnikov.)
The head of the Vasileostrovski District administration V. Golubev has known Putin from the times of his service in the 1st service of the USSR KGB Department in Leningrad. His former colleagues organized a series of firms, through which budget money is laundered and then appropriated. /…/