A Spanish investigation into the Russian mafia 'could change the narrative of Putin in the West'

BUSINESS INSIDER ^ | 30 Jun 15 | Natasha Bertrand

[elhombrelibre]

(Reuters) Vladimir Putin with Jose Maria Aznar, then Spain's prime minister, at Moncloa Palace on June 13, 2000.

One of Russia's largest organized-crime syndicates allegedly operated out of Spain for more than a decade with the help of close allies of President Vladimir Putin, then the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Bloomberg reports.

Prosecutors in Madrid have filed a 488-page petition to charge 27 people with money laundering and fraud in connection to the St. Petersburg-based Tambov crime syndicate's setting up shop in Spain in 1996.

Vladislav Reznik, now the deputy head of the finance committee in Russia's lower house of parliament and a member of the Putin-aligned United Russia Party, faces charges accusing him of giving allies of the criminal organization's alleged leader, Gennady Petrov, positions in the Russian government in exchange for a share of the organization's assets.

"The criminal organization headed by Petrov managed to achieve a clear penetration of the state structures in [Russia], not only with the lawmaker Reznik but with several ministers," the Spanish prosecutors said

[elhombrelibre]

More evidence that communist and former KGB Colonel Putin turned president-for-life and gangster statesman is not a Christian conservative.

[WayneS]

A Spanish investigation into the Russian mafia 'could change the narrative of Putin in the West'

Really? Do they think the investigation will reveal he is NOT a gangster? Because unless that happens it will not change MY "narrative" of Putin - and I am in "the West".

[OttawaFreeper]

Well, hey, it will just remind people here in North America what mayors in places like Chicago and Montreal and DC and Baltimore and elsewhere are like.

[dfwgator]

Nobody expects the Spanish Investigation.

[Organic Panic]

One just needs to visit Thailand for a week to see the reach of the Russian mob.

[elhombrelibre]

Yeah, the mayor of Chicago is a big threat on the world stage too. Gees.

[1rudeboy]

Cut the relativistic crap . . . we are talking about professionals here.

[dfwgator]

I predict the Russian Mob will wind up taking over Greece.

[elhombrelibre]

Unfortunately, some on our side don’t know that situational ethics is only for the Left.

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Prosecutors in Madrid have filed a 488-page petition to charge 27 people with money laundering and fraud in connection to the St. Petersburg-based Tambov crime syndicate's setting up shop in Spain in 1996.

The spanish communists invited Stalin's NKVD to set up shop in spain and it looks like they never left.

[1rudeboy]

Dude, they have already.

[OttawaFreeper]

Forgive me, I meant only humour and irony with my comment. No doubting the seriousness of the situation that is discussed in the article though.

[1rudeboy]

No worries. Happy Dominion Day.

[elhombrelibre]

Yeah, but now they work for Putin and not Stalin, a man Putin would have worked for since he sought to be and was hired by the successor to the NKVD - the KGB.

[Fai Mao]

I’d prefer Putin to Obama. At least Putin loves his country.

[Flavious_Maximus]

I will take this article with a grain of salt. Business Insider is a flaming left wing rag sheet.

[dfwgator]

Obama loves Obama, and Putin loves Putin.

[elhombrelibre]

Bloomberg is the source of the article. The investigation is a matter of public record. It's not a Left/Right issue.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-29/putin-allies-aided-russian-mafia-in-spain-prosecutors-say

[elhombrelibre]

Here. Maybe the MOSCOW TIMES will help you realize that the investigation is going on.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-allies-feature-in-probe-into-russian-mafia-in-spain--report/524738.html

[reed13k]

Excellent! I salute you.