Western experts to help lead global expansion
Washington, D.C., 17 April 2003 – Group MENATEP today announced appointment of a former senior U.S. Treasury Department official, a former German minister of economics, a former member of the British Parliament and an American founder of a major global public affairs firm to its new international advisory board.
The board will serve as a resource to Group MENATEP's leadership to help achieve the company's goals of full integration into the world market and adherence to the highest levels of corporate social responsibility. Creation of the board is one more example of the leadership demonstrated by Group MENATEP and its subsidiary companies in the movement towards transparency and good corporate governance. The Group announced its shareholders and ownership structure last year.
Former U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat; Dr. Otto Graf Lambsdorff, former member of the German Bundestag and former German Minister of economics; J. Dudley Fishburn, for many years of The Economist and a former member of the British Parliament; and Margery Kraus, president and chief executive officer of APCO Worldwide, have been appointed as board members.
"I am pleased to announce the creation of the International Advisory Board and look forward to working with this exceptional group of individuals to expand further our global presence," said Platon Lebedev, director of Group MENATEP. "We believe the broad base of contacts and experience of this Board will help us with our efforts to operate more effectively as a world class company."
Eizenstat brings with him 15 years of service in the U.S. government, including appointments in the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 2001 as deputy treasury secretary; undersecretary of state for economic, business and agricultural affairs; undersecretary of commerce for international trade; and U.S. ambassador to the European Union. He was also chief domestic policy advisor to President Carter from 1977 to 1981. Eizenstat currently heads up the international practice at Covington and Burling, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, and is an expert in international business transactions, trade and regulations. He also serves on the board of directors of numerous corporations and non-profit organizations.
Russian mafia link to US campaign funds
By Thomas Catán in New York
Russian émigrés living in the US and believed by authorities to have links with organised crime have made campaign contributions to leading US candidates and political parties in what appears to be an effort to win political influence.
Through family members and businesses, Semyon (Sam) Kislin - identified in a 1994 internal report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a member of a Russian crime syndicate - contributed $46,250 to the political campaign of New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican, in 1993 and 1997, election records show.
The commodities trader also donated $8,000 to New York senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat, last year, and contributed to several other US political figures. The allegations against him were first publicised by the Center for Public Integrity, the Washington-based non-profit group, earlier this week. Mr Kislin has denied any links with organised crime.
It also emerged that Jacob Bogatin, an associate of Semyon Mogilevich, who is himself alleged by US and UK intelligence authorities to be the head of a Russian crime syndicate, made donations to the National Republican Congressional Committee between 1996 and 1998.
Mr Mogilevich has denied the allegations against him.
Election records show Mr Bogatin contributed at least $2,750 to the Republican campaign group - sometimes under the name of his company, YBM Magnex.
The Philadelphia-based magnet manufacturer, which was founded by Mr Bogatin with Mr Mogilevich, was raided and closed down by US authorities in May 1998. YBM Magnex pleaded guilty to securities fraud and was fined $3m in November 1999.
These and other developments have prompted US investigators to start looking closely at Russian assets and investments in the country, particularly in the New York area, according to people close to the investigations.
Though the political contributions traced so far are not large, they will fuel concerns that money from Russian organised crime could be finding its way into the political system.
"When I was in the Department of State, from time to time we would hear of people associated with organised crime reaching out to members of the [Capitol] Hill," said Jonathan Winer, who until recently served as deputy secretary of state. "The administration briefed Hill members on more than one occasion."
Mr Winer noted that those briefed by the State Department came from both main political parties, and on all occasions dropped contact with the figures under suspicion.
In recent years, two Russian businessmen identified by US authorities as having links to Russian organised crime have turned up at Democratic fundraising events, despite being denied entry visas. Both have appeared in photographs with President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore.
Yesterday, the office of Senator Schumer said it had performed a background check on Mr Kislin and found nothing on him. "If any of these allegations prove true, we will absolutely return the money," a spokesman said. Mr Giuliani's office could not be reached for comment.