Russian newspaper Kommersant published a statement by Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika in response to a 43-minute video expose of corruption and criminality involving his two sons and relatives of senior prosecutors in his office. The “Chaika” movie was produced by Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny and his Foundation for Fight against Corruption, Law and Order in Russia reminds.
Russian newspaper Kommersant published a statement by Russian General Prosecutor Yuri Chaika in response to a 43-minute video expose of corruption and criminality involving his two sons and relatives of senior prosecutors in his office. The “Chaika” movie was produced by Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny and his Foundation for Fight against Corruption, Law and Order in Russia reminds.
The Russian Prosecutor General has told the press that the recent web video accusing him of mafia ties was ordered and sponsored by the international investor William Browder in revenge for uncovering illegal financial schemes.
“Of course, there are a lot of people who are unhappy with the results of our work. But I think that this particular film has been ordered by a particular person with powerful people backing him. Since 2004, law enforcers have been investigating the criminal embezzlement that drained Russia of tremendous sums of money between 1996 and 2006. These schemes were masterminded by US special services and organized by the US citizen who is now a subject of the United Kingdom, William Browder,” Chaika wrote. “This person knows about our probes and he fears them,” he added.
RT writes that the prosecutor general explained that the embezzlement Browder was involved in concerned various schemes to bypass a Russian presidential decree that banned foreign companies and citizens from purchasing equities in Gazprom. These schemes allowed Browder to gain a seven-percent stake in the company and start blackmailing its top managers in order to get his representatives on to the board.
Chaika also revealed that several of Browder’s business partners in Russia had died under controversial circumstances. This had caused two people who had participated in the illegal schemes to turn themselves in to Russian law enforcement bodies. These people have already given testimony revealing Browder’s crimes, he said.
Aleksey Navalny commented on Chaika’s statement saying that he could not understand William Browder’s connection with the case. He suggested the sole purpose of the letter was to distract public attention from the facts revealed by the film.
William Browder is known for his role in the so called Magnitsky Case. Sergey Magnitsky was a lawyer who worked for Browder’s investment company Hermitage Capital Management.
Browder said: “I’m very impressed with the investigation which went into making this movie and applaud Alexei Navalny and his colleagues for their bravery in exposing the shocking allegations against Chaika and his family, but I had nothing to do with the investigation, financing or production of this film”.
BBC wrote: « А"video bomb" was posted on 1 December, the film details allegations of corruption among the family and associates of Russian Prosecutor-General Yuri Chaika. The film begins with the lavish opening of a luxury hotel in Greece attended by members of the Russian elite, including culture minister Vladimir Medinsky. Also there is Mr Chaika's son, Artyom, who is said to be one of the hotel's owners. The hotel is just one part of a business empire which Artyom and his brother Igor have amassed thanks, in part at least, to their father's connections, the foundation alleges. The film, called simply "Chaika", culminates in a huge maze-like graphic showing the interconnections between Artyom and Igor's businesses and various prosecutors and their relations and associates».
