Ivankov - Solntsevo -Does Russian Mafia Control Lithuania -Rosbalt -10Nov03

Looks like the Lithuanians are taking a much more aggressive stance
in pursuit of justice against the mafia/politicos (than other countries:

Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Poland, Germany, France,
Italy, Israel, USA, Canada, China, Japan, Hong Kong, etc.). The mafia
members named have links to the Solntsevo crime syndicate, which
also has a powerful presence in Ukraine and elsewhere. Recall the
"vor-v-zakone" Vyacheslav "Yaponchik" Ivankov for example. Ivankov
and the Solntsevo crime syndicate have been linked to Ludwig "Tarzan"
Fainberg and the Brighton Beach "Organizatsiya", Semion "Brainy Don"
Mogilevich, Anzor Kikalishvili, Joseph Kobzon, Joseph Grisha "The
Cannibal" Roizes, et. al.

Fainberg's accomplice in cocaine trafficking was Nelson Pablo
Yester Garrido (aka any one of about 30 other aliases) who was
featured on the TV program "America's Most Wanted", while gangster
Anzor Kikalishvili, interceded between Fainberg and other Russian
Mafia leaders. Kikalishvili named NHL superstar, Pavel Bure, to be
his president of the Twenty-First Century business enterprise, which
is a mafia front worth $100 million according to the FBI. Kikalishvili
boasted he had more than 600 mafia "soldiers" in South Florida.
Fainberg and Kikalishvili's extortion of one restaurant owner couple
was described in "Red Mafiya" by Robert I. Friedman.

Stefan Lemieszewski

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http://www.rosbaltnews.com/print/print?cn=64667
Rosbalt News Agency
10Nov03
Does the Russian Mafia Control Lithuania?

This past week a sensational political scandal rocked Lithuania,
and it is connected directly with the playing of the "Russian card"
in the country's politics. The Lithuanian State Security Department
accused several officials in the president's inner circle of being
directly connected with international criminals. Moreover, relying
on the secret services of other foreign governments, the Lithuanian
secret service collected recordings of conversations of close
associates of Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas with Russian
"criminal figures".

Undoubtedly, Russian secret services were also involved because
the most important recordings of conversations occurred in Moscow.
Lithuanian secret services made public information about a direct
link connecting Paksas with the chief sponsor of his election
campaign, Russian businessman Yuri Borisov. The secret service
made known that it has tapes of conversations between Borisov and
Lithuanian Presidential National Security Advisor Remigiyus Achas.
In addition, the secret service has tapes of Borisov conversing in
Moscow with figures who have for a long time been suspected of
connections with international criminals. These figures include
Ansor Aksentyev, who is better known by his previous last name
of Kikalishvili. He was the vice president of the 21st Century
Association. For some time, he shared the duty with Russian
State Duma deputy and popular entertainer Josef Kobson. Several
Russian mass media reports have called this association an
influential criminal organization with dubious ties in the former
Soviet republics. The 21st Century Association was created by
notorious criminal Otari Kvantrishvili, and its members included
such personalities as the so-called "thief in law" Givi Beradze
and the famous criminal Vyacheslav Ivankov better known as
"Yaponchik."

According to several reports, the Russian secret service suspects
the association of drug trafficking, the illegal smuggling of jewels
and antiques with cultural and historical significance and other
crimes. According to Lithuanian sources, the recorded conversations
include demands to Achas "to fulfill his election campaign promises"
and also threats to Lithuanian State Security Department Chief
Mecys Laurinkus.

Indeed, a major criminal and political scandal is unraveling in the
corridors of power in Lithuania. Recently, urgent meetings were
called of the president's state defense committee and a plenary
session of the Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, and the military
chiefs of staff were also summoned. They all came out with the
same statements, acknowledging a serious "threat to national
security."

The large role played by Russian capital in Paksas' election victory
is no secret to those that followed the campaign of Paksas, who
is a former Lithuanian premier and Vilnius mayor. In fact, the millions
of dollars donated by Borisov covered the lion's share of Paksas'
campaign expenses. However, up till now, this was considered
"clean" money donated by Russian business. Some also suspect
that the money came from the Russian government, Russian
political groups and secret service. Now, however, it turns out
that not only did the money come from Russia but that it is "dirty"
money as well!

One week before the scandal broke in parliament, the head of the
state security service spoke about the interests of several
businessmen who were trying to privatize strategically important
properties in Lithuania with their "dirty" money.

Aksentyev's daughter's godmother is Russian pop star Alla
Pugacheva and her godfather is hockey player Pavel Bure. She
resides in Lithuania. Aksentyev was recently prohibited from
entering Lithuania.

Deputy head of Lithuania's state security service Arvidas Potsyus
recently said that Aksentyev's presence in Lithuania was a threat
not only to Lithuania "but also a problem for the EU." In regard to
Aksentyev and his ties to criminal organizations in Lithuania,
Laurinkus said "[the organizations] are trying to participate in the
privatization of strategic objects." Paksas has distanced himself
from the accusations calling them "provocations." Achas, who
was at the center of the scandal, has been temporarily relieved
of his duties.

The scandal should get hotter in the next weeks with an urgent
session of the Lithuanian parliament scheduled, investigation by
the Lithuanian Prosecutor General commencing and the creation
of a special parliamentary commission, which all plan to delve
further into the affair. This would all seem like a political
provocation
if the accusations came from some newspaper and not the
Lithuanian Department of State Security. Indeed, the department
must possess serious facts if it has decided to undergo such a
large-scale political scandal. On the other hand, all the information
on this theme is secret, which is the best basis for disregarding
"categorical statements" and formulating personal speculation.

However, the fact that international criminal organizations are
focusing on small countries as their own estates and attempting
to control the state organs of these countries by financing political
leaders is not speculation, but reality. It is true, however, that we
are more accustomed to seeing this happen in places like Latin
America. Indeed, it seems incredible that such a thing could
happen in Europe.

Of course, it is difficult to imagine that Lithuanian authorities are
little more than puppets in the hands of the mafia. Yet there also
seems to be much influence by and obligations to other countries
and plenty of personal Lithuanian ambition at play here. Indeed,
"authorities" are not pushing Lithuania to the open arms of the
EU and NATO.

Nevertheless, the single fact of the extortion of the president
(or members of his team) by election campaign sponsors'
"payment for services" - for access to certain strategic objects -
has been enough to place Lithuanian society in a condition of
deep shock.

It is also important to note that, on the eve of these events,
Lithuania was already agitated by the YUKOS affair in that
YUKOS owns the most important strategic object in Lithuania -
the Ma?eikiu Nafta oil refining complex. With the arrival of YUKOS
one year ago, the business began to prosper. In fact, the oil
complex, which was managed by Americans, earned its first
profits after suffering major losses that had put a serious strain
on the Lithuanian government budget. The news of the arrest of
YUKOS shares caused a great stir in Lithuania. The country's
political right wing even proposed urgently buying back the
property of YUKOS in Lithuania.

And, once again, there is a new "Russian" theme in Lithuania.
Now an enemy has been discovered in the very heart of the
government - in the president's circle:

Perhaps, it is more than just a coincidence that the scandal
surrounding Paksas and his people, who are accused of ties with
the "Russian mafia," began to flare up immediately after the
YUKOS affair broke in Moscow. No one knows for sure how
"Paksas-Gate," which is the name given to the events by one
Western news agency, will end. However, it is very clear how
much and how long Lithuanians have feared Russia, and what
necessarily results from those fears. It is not out of the question
that someone simply decided to take advantage of the moment
to achieve his political goals.

Regardless of the political outcome, it seems that Lithuanians
could end up rejoicing in the openness of their society. After
all, not only the president of a company, but the president of
the country is equal to other citizens in that he is not above
suspicion by 'competent organs' in orchestrating threats to the
country's national security. Is such a thing possible, say, in
Russia? Whether or not the president will be removed from his
post (such a mechanism exists under the country's constitution)
or be acquitted, it really doesn't matter in the long run because
Lithuanian democracy will triumph in the process.

Written by Alexander Lototsky, Vilnius

Translated by Richard Sleder

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