(Czech Republic) Court extradites Putin's official to Russia

[uhnope]

Source: CTK / Prague Monitor

A Czech court has extradited Aleksander Nikolayev, former Russian senior official subordinate directly to President Vladimir Putin, to Russia where he is accused of conspiracy and a fraud causing damage of dozens of millions of roubles to the state, daily Pravo wrote on Tuesday.
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"We have found no obstacles to prevent his extradition to Russia," the regional court panel's chairman, Pavel Fait, told Pravo. The Russian law enforcement bodies assure Prague that all human rights regulations will be observed in this case. If Russia violated its guarantee, it would face a risk of other countries not being willing to extradite Russian citizens in the future, Fait added.
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If it upheld the verdict, the final decision would be up to Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO). He may also ask the Supreme Court to assess the case, Pravo says.
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Nikolayev denies any wrongdoing, Pravo writes. "All the charges are false. I have never planned or intended to steal Putin's money. I would have been a fool otherwise," he said. He also claims that the charges are fabricated by the investigator in Moscow who was assigned to make a fraud of him, Pravo adds.

Read more: http://praguemonitor.com/2016/07/13/court-extradites-putins-official-russia

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related

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18706597
Why Russia locks up so many entrepreneurs

In the last 10 years Russia has imprisoned nearly three million entrepreneurs, many unjustly. This statistic comes from a new ombudsman for business rights, Boris Titov, who says it is "hard to find another social group persecuted on such a large scale". How has this come about?
Businessmen have complained for years that people have been able to frame commercial rivals - by paying corrupt police officers to plant evidence and make arrests to order. But only now are they being taken seriously.
More and more well-heeled entrepreneurs have been joining, even leading street protests in recent months, with reform of the courts one of their main demands.

I'm not saying this former crony is innocent, but Putin's Russia is basically a kleptocracy, and its human rights situation getting more and more dismal, so this extradition is questionable.

[uawchild]

1. "I'm not saying this former crony is innocent" Good.

"According to the Russian charges, Nikolayev committed the crimes in the post of general director of the Federal budgetary office within the administration of the Russian president's affairs.

He allegedly committed a fraud in connection with a 0.25-billion-rouble contract on the reconstruction of a waiting room and a railway platform to secure the rail transport of the head of state. Nikolayev is suspected of a manipulated tender for the constructor, an overpriced contract and poor-quality construction works."
http://www.praguemonitor.com/2016/07/13/court-extradites-putins-official-russia

Here's an interesting Reuters article on Putin tackling corruption:

"Putin pledges to fight corruption, capital flight

President Vladimir Putin pledged on Wednesday to crack down on corruption and the flight of capital from Russia in a new campaign to tackle problems that have marred his 13-year rule and blighted the country's business scene.

Setting priorities in his first state of the nation speech since he started a six-year term in May, Putin also tried to appease Russians eager for improvement in roads, schools, hospitals and police forces.

His 80-minute speech, delivered in the St George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, lacked the punch of some performances during the oil-fuelled boom years of his 2000-2008 presidency.

But he drew applause from an audience of lawmakers, government ministers and religious leaders when he said officials should be restricted by law from opening foreign bank accounts and owning securities abroad.

"Don't applaud too soon - maybe you won't like it," Putin warned, adding that the measures would apply to senior Kremlin, government and parliamentary officials.

Putin also said businesses should not evade Russia's laws by operating through offshore tax havens. Capital has been leaving Russia at a rate of $80 billion per year.

Reining in graft would be a boon for Russia's state finances and for Putin, helping to dispel deep public distrust in state authorities whom millions see as corrupt.

Putin got Russia's powerful "oligarchs" to knuckle under in his first term but critics say money flows have simply shifted to his allies and corruption has worsened under his rule."
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-idUSBRE8BB1CD20121212


Here's another more recent article too:

"Putin confirms national anti-corruption plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed the national anti-corruption plan for 2016-2017.

The relevant decree has been published on the Kremlin website. (edit: In Russian, alas)

The presidential decree gives the Russian government until June 10 to submit a joint report on efforts to crack down on corruption in the federal authorities to the presidium of the presidential Anti-Corruption Council.

At the same time, the heads of federal institutions of power have been given until May 15 to introduce amendments into their anti-corruption plans aimed at "achieving concrete results in the work to prevent corruption, minimize (or) liquidate the consequences of corruption-related legal violations, as well as [ensure] control over the implementation of measures outlined in the national plan."

The heads of federal institutions of power will have to present their reports on the fight against corruption before June 10. The federal institutions whose work is coordinated by the government will have to present such reports before May 20 of this year."
http://rbth.com/news/2016/04/01/putin-confirms-national-anti-corruption-plan_581073

Yeah, so a real mixed bag on "fighting corruption" in Russia. Russia has a long way to go and exhibits similar problems with corruption as Ukraine. Both nations are struggling to emerge as nations truly unde the rule of law.

Here's an article talking about similar oligarch corruption in Ukraine:

"Corruption in Ukraine is so bad, a Nigerian prince would be embarrassed

United States Vice President Joe Biden has never been one to hold his tongue. He certainly didn’t in his recent trip to Kiev. In a speech before Ukraine’s Parliament, Biden told legislators that corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer,” and warned Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine had “one more chance” to confront corruption before the United States cuts off aid.

Biden’s language was undiplomatic, but he’s right: Ukraine needs radical reforms to root out graft. After 18 months in power, Poroshenko still refuses to decisively confront corruption. It’s time for Poroshenko to either step up his fight against corruption — or step down if he won’t.

When it comes to Ukrainian corruption, the numbers speak for themselves. Over $12 billion per year disappears from the Ukrainian budget, according to an adviser to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. And in its most recent review of global graft, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Ukraine 142 out of 174 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index — below countries such as Uganda, Nicaragua and Nigeria. Ordinary Ukrainians also endure paying petty bribes in all areas of life. From vehicle registration, to getting their children into kindergarten, to obtaining needed medicine, everything connected to government has a price.

The worst corruption occurs at the nexus between business oligarchs and government officials. A small number of oligarchs control 70 percent of Ukraine’s economy, and over the years have captured and corrupted Ukraine’s political and judicial institutions. As a result, a “culture of impunity” was created, where politicians, judges, prosecutors and oligarchs collude in a corrupt system where everyone but the average citizen benefits.

While there are numerous examples of high-level corruption in Ukraine, a few stand out for their sheer brazenness. In one case, $1.8 billion of an IMF loan to Ukraine meant to support the banking system instead disappeared into various offshore accounts affiliated with PrivatBank in Ukraine, which is owned by Ihor Kolomoisky — one of Ukraine’s leading oligarchs."
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/30/corruption-in-ukraine-is-so-bad-a-nigerian-prince-would-be-embarrassed-2/

[uhnope]

2. "Putin fights corruption" ah ha ha ha ha ha

you mean Putin fights corruption by competitors to his own corruption, right?

Your posts are getting more and more entertaining. Starting to remind of Go West Young Man

[uawchild]

3. Did you even read the Reuters article I linked? Seems not.

The Reuters one took Putin to task. Please don't react in such a knee-jerk fashion to the mere mention of Putin's name.

People might think you are a Russophobe or something. lol

And do I think Putin tries to fight corruption? Yes, but selectively as his critics have pointed out.

[uhnope]

4. do you actually not even know the basics

of Putin's corruption, that he got his start in politics by stealing $124 million in food aid during St Petersburg food shortage, and then became a master of siphoning money from the Russian economy? http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017243590

The Russian people need to get rid of that ex-KGB thug who's robbed them blind and created a fascist dictatorship in Russia. And apologists like you need to...well, lots of things.

[uawchild]

5. Oh god, you seem unhinged again about Putin.

I tried, I really tried. I link to articles exposing Putin's inconsistency on corruption, but you can't acknowledge that he SELECTIVELY fights corruption.

Good lord, I tried.

Seriously, you would be much more effective in getting your points across if you were not so monomaniacal about slamming all and everything about Putin and Russia. Demonizing both as caricatures of their actual selves under cuts your own message.

Again, do I think Putin fights corruption? Yes, but selectively as his critics point out.