Yukos Dogs Khristenko's U.S. Visit

The Moscow Times ^ | October 26, 2005 | Stephen Boykewich and Valeria Korchagina

[sergey1973]

Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko, in Washington with top Russian business leaders to rebuild confidence in U.S.-Russia energy ties after the legal onslaught against Yukos, has been caught up in a lawsuit by U.S. shareholders in the shattered oil company.

A spokesman for the plaintiffs said Khristenko was served with the lawsuit just after meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday -- and hours after a speech asserting that Russia was not engaged in renationalizing its oil and gas sector.

Twelve shareholders of Yukos American Depositary Receipts filed suit against the Russian government, four state-owned energy giants and a host of high-ranking government officials on Monday, accusing them of securities fraud in the de facto renationalization of Yukos.

[sergey1973]

I believe that legalized looting of YUKOS should be punished. Whatever the dark side of YUKOS origin during Yeltsin criminal privatization era, looting is looting and you can't call it anything else then looting in the way YUKOS was bought on auction by some obscure company and then this company was bought by Russian State Oil company RosNeft. I also believe that judicial attack on fmr. YUKOS chairman Khodorkovsky is a farce.

[sergey1973]

Russia and YUKOS PING ! If you can keep discussion to the point and avoid personal attacks, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

[GarySpFc]

Sergey, it is obvious to some of us that Khodorkovsky is a criminal and stole Yukos in the first place. Furthermore, the criminal broke the unwritten agreement and went into politics. I do however believe the innocent victims who had their monies invested in Yukos without a doubt should be compensated. Once again, Khordorkovsky is a criminal and to my mind he needs to be put so deep in the gulag they have to pump sunlight to him.

[sergey1973]

First, Khodorkovsky didn't steal anything more than Yeltsin Government hasn't allowed him to steal in exchange for financial and political support to him and his "family".

Second, unwritten agreement that Khodorkovsky broke was the agreement that is similar between gangs and mobs--you stay out of my turf and I'll stay out of yours.

And last but not least, throwing anybody to GULAG (even worst criminals) means that GULAGs have to exist. GULAG by definition is the Stalin era slave camp machine that broken lives of tens of millions of people--mostly non criminals. Does it mean Gary, you want to resurrect GULAG ? I suppose not, but throwing such terms is thoughtless.

[jb6]

First, Khodorkovsky didn't steal anything more than Yeltsin Government hasn't allowed him to steal in exchange for financial and political support to him and his "family".

Come on, the man "bought" $1 billion in assets for $200,000 which he never even paid. His vp and his sec chief were running their own murder racket, which included several former Yukos execs. And he didn't know about this?

[sergey1973]

To get 1 billion of state assets that became YUKOS, Khodorkovsky surely had to pay a hefty sum to the Yeltsin era officials behind the table for quite some time. He never was charged with anything until he started to challenge Putin by financing opposition and decided to stop paying bribes or "protection money" to Kremlin. Every serious analyst will tell you this.

[GarySpFc]

I just learned some Russians are naive.

[RusIvan]

First, Khodorkovsky didn't steal anything more than Yeltsin Government hasn't allowed him to steal in exchange for financial and political support to him and his "family". =

So what? Does it mean that Khodorkovsky is honest?

[RusIvan]

To get 1 billion of state assets that became YUKOS, Khodorkovsky surely had to pay a hefty sum to the Yeltsin era officials behind the table for quite some time.==

So you admit that Khodorkovsky is briberman. Does it mean that he is honest?

[Lukasz]

Why do you not support the idea to send corrupt Putin and his friendly oligarchs like Abramovich to jail/gulag? After all their faults are similar. They are all criminals.

[RusIvan]

Why do you not support the idea to send corrupt Putin and his friendly oligarchs like Abramovich to jail/gulag? After all their faults are similar. They are all criminals.==

Accually I support. I agree that they all thieves. Putin at least do business but Abrmovich is stronger candidate to prison.

[jb6]

Your view of criminals is rather interesting. In your view any strong Russian leader is a criminal, only a Yeltsin who sells out to you and yours is a "good" leader. Worry about how your EU is about to sodomize Poland and take away your voting rights for not supporting the gay agenda.

[sergey1973]

"Putin at least do business but Abrmovich is stronger candidate to prison."

However, Abramovich gave Putin multimillion dollar yacht as a gift and sold to the state controlled GazProm his oil company Sibneft. He knows how to greaze the wheels of the new Kremlin inhabitants, so you can be sure he will not be investigated for any wrongdoings as long as he has a good relations with Kremlin.

[sergey1973]

"So you admit that Khodorkovsky is briberman. Does it mean that he is honest?"

No it doesn't. He was one of the beneficiaries of Yeltsin corrupt privatization schemes. But he wasn't punished for that--he was punished for trying to be independent from new Kremlin clique.

[Lukasz]

I consider Yeltsin as a criminal too, although his foreign policy towards my country was much more open minded than Putin's.