Russian President Vladimir Putin (second from right) meets in Sochi yesterday with (from left) Central Bank Chairman Sergey Ignatiev, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev, and Russian General Prosecutor Yury Chaika.
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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Vladimir Putin Chooses a Version
// The Murder of Central Bank Deputy Chairman Andrey Kozlov Discussed in Sochi
Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin spent all day participating in events in the memory of slain Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Andrey Kozlov.
Today the president held a meeting in his residence in Sochi to discuss the murder of Mr. Kozlov.
First, Mr. Putin spoke with Central Bank head Sergey Ignatiev for almost an hour and a half. Mr. Putin offered his condolences to Mr. Kozlov's family and said that he did not doubt the Central Bank's intentions to carry on the work it was doing under Mr. Kozlov and to do everything in its power to assist in the investigation. After his talk with Mr. Igantiev, Putin spoke with the chief of the FSB's economic security service, Alexander Bortnikov, Russian Interior Ministry Rashid Nurgaliev, and Russian General Prosecutor Yury Chaika.
"The reason for our meeting today in such a capacity is a tragic event," announced President Putin – "the murder of the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank. I think that you will all agree with me that this, in my opinion, is a manifestation of the aggravated situation in the struggle against economic crime."
In his remarks, Mr. Putin was clearly making a choice among the many different alternatives that have been offered as the motive for the murder of Mr. Kozlov. Developing his chosen theory more fully, Mr. Putin went on: "Andrey Andreevich [Kozlov] worked in one of the most crucial fields – with so-called problem banks. The use of banking institutions for criminal ends, unfortunately, continues, and we are all witnesses to the cashing of billions of rubles in this country every month. We are witnesses to enormous financial resources being diverted abroad. These funds, which, I repeat, are being cashed every day through the country's banking system, are being used not only to pay for the services of workers in designated areas…but also to pay officials who have furnished these services to business representatives against the law, against the interests of society…that is, they are actually being used for enormous bribes. These funds are being used for criminal ends…."
It was curious to hear Mr. Putin pronouncing these words with such certainty: if he already knew about all of this, then he should already have been obliged to take radical measures.
"In order to make sure that the work does not drag out," added Mr. Putin, "but rather goes forward more effectively, I consider it necessary, in accordance with existing banking laws and obviously while preserving the interests of participants in economic activities in Russia, to clarify a legally-normative base for the work of banking institutions with their clients, who, according to many objective criteria…express doubts about the cleanliness of the workings within the banks."
He went on to say that "as soon as possible – actually, right now – I will discuss this with you, and we will adopt a corresponding resolution: to create an operationally functional interdepartmental working group that will include representatives from the general prosecutor's office, the tax service, the financial intelligence service, the FSB, and the Interior Ministry, and that will include the participation of the Central Bank. The representatives involved should be no lower than the rank of a deputy leader within each organization, and the general prosecutor's office will coordinate the group." Of course, he immediately aired the decision that he had suggested would be worked out in the course of the discussion, presumably in order to not keep anyone in suspense.
General Prosecutor Yury Chaika eventually approached Putin and informed him that a team of about 20 investigators from the Moscow city prosecutor's office has been created to investigate Mr. Kozlov's murder. The team has examined the crime scene and is currently questioning witnesses.
Mr. Chaika enumerated some versions of the murder for Mr. Putin.
"The first version is the professional one. He [Andrey Kozlov] was a principled man. He upheld the law and was uncompromising and honest; he treasured the reputation of a professional."
As if he had not heard President Putin's earlier words, Mr. Chaika noted that many other versions exist, including the pedestrian explanation of business affairs from Mr. Kozlov's days as a businessman and a version in which Mr. Kozlov was a "mistaken target." It is clear that the general prosecutor is not convinced that the reason for the murder was an "aggravated situation in the struggle against economic crime."
For the president, however, everything is clear: it is necessary to "clarify a legally-normative base for the work of banking institutions with their clients" to avoid the recurrence of such monstrously cruel crimes. It is obvious that now the legal system, with retaliatory harshness, will "clarify a legally-normative base" in the banks.
It remains to be hoped that Mr. Putin really does have indisputable proof of his version of events, since otherwise there will be every reason to say that the government is simply using the situation to impose, as much as it can, order in this sphere, which is much more powerful than it appears at first glance.
As the general prosecutor was leaving the press center, your correspondent asked Mr. Chaika if there was still another version, one in which the murder was committed with the goal of simply robbing Mr. Kozlov and stealing his car. Mr. Chaika reacted with disbelief: "Robbery? What kind of robbery would that be? Do you understand what Kozlov's job was? Robbery…what rubbish!"
Thus, whether he meant to or not, Mr. Chaika confirmed Mr. Putin's version of events.
It is probable that he meant to.
Andrey Kolesnikov
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 16, 2006
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