Posted on 04/11/2010 8:36:41 AM PDT by Ooh-Ah
A New Jersey congressman says he will demand a government inquiry into Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire poised to buy the New Jersey Nets, for his extensive business dealings in Zimbabwe -- a bombshell that could blow up the $200 million team deal and threaten the future of Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards, The Post has learned.
Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, wants to know if companies controlled by Prokhorov in Zimbabwe violate federal rules that forbid American citizens and companies, and subsidiaries set up in the United States, from doing business with brutal strongman Robert Mugabe, his regime or associates.
"This is disgusting," Pascrell said. "Obviously, the Board of Governors of the NBA didn't do their job properly when they vetted this deal."
He said the project received tax-exempt bonds.
"It's being financed partly by the taxpayer, and the public has a right to know," he said.
...
"Looks like sanctions-busting to me," said Usha Haley, an expert on US sanctions at the Economic Policy Institute.
She said companies find administrative loopholes, which include setting up a web of corporations, to get around the sanctions.
"It looks like this company is setting up administrative layers that are obfuscating the effects of the sanctions. It's done all the time," she said.
If the department steps in to block the Net deal, it could cause major problems for developer Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards development project.
...
The United States slapped sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2003 in response to gross human-rights abuses and government-backed land grabs. Sanctions were strengthened by President George W. Bush in 2008.
The State Department's 2009 human-rights report, released last month, detailed state-sanctioned torture and politically motivated killings by government agents linked to Zanu-PF, Mugabe's party.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Sounds like this guy is enriching the anti-White racist in Zimbabwe
Good!
I hope his plan gets rejected.
Interesting story. That whole “Nets-to-Brooklyn” charade and the parallel Atlantic Yards real estate venture had all the appearances of smoke and mirrors to me.
This new “detente” with Russia is getting sick-Stalin is being reinnvented, and our soldiers will be marching in Red Square this May under his pictures. Funny, isn't this the same guy who ordered the slaughter of Polish officers the late Polish President was going to commemorate? Then, the current occupant of the White House is eliminating our space program, and we will be riding -at inflated prices-on Soviet rockets.
Boycott Lukoil (russian) and Citgo (venezuelan) gas!
Prokhorov NBA Bid...; ACORN-Funder Ratner Needs Russian Billionaire to Build Brooklyn Arena
If this guy doesn’t watch it he wil end up in prison like so many other oligarchs...and rightfully so.
There's more to this than reported, probably failure to "donate" to Rat campaigns.
Brooklyn has had considerable experience with Russian shenanigans. The term “Russian Mob” comes to mind.
Gee that “great” investigative show 60 Minutes, claimed he was the golden boy of Russia.
Really did a great public relations sctick for this piece of work.
He’s actually one of Putins golden boys. He stays out of politics and makes sure the right palms at the Kremlin are always greased. Putin wants this company to become the next BHP Biliton / Rio Tinto to be used as another political tool.
And this guy was actually arrested in France when he brought in a plane load of Russian hookers to party with his crew at a ski resort and a
couple of them got busted working the resort bars on the side and had no passports.
one of Putins golden boys
Actually Putin finds his behavior disgusting.
He seems to hang out more with Medvedev.
The news exagerrates-— I am certain they were not “hookers”.
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