VZCZCXYZ0018
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHMO #4768 2711401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281401Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4219
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS MOSCOW 004768
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR EUR/RUS
TREASURY FOR MEYER, TORGERSON
NSC FOR MCKIBBEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN STOCK FRAUD INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN MOSCOW
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TDY Investigator from Dagestan Shot
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1. (SBU) On September 26 around mid-day, Senior Special
Investigator from the Dagestan Prosecutor General's Office,
Nazim Kaziakhmedov, was shot in a Moscow restaurant where he
was having lunch. According to press accounts, Kaziakhmedov
had been temporarily assigned to Russia's newly created
Investigation Committee to lead a stock fraud investigation
concerning the Finvest Group. Kaziakhmedov is the second
Russian official involved in an investigation of Finvest to
be murdered. Anatoly Trofimov, the Head of the Moscow
Directorate of the Federal Security Service, was also killed
while leading an investigation on Finvest in April 2005.
2. (SBU) The Finvest Group holds controlling ownership
interests in several real estate development, construction,
and transportation firms, according to National Credit Bureau
data. The Group's chief shareholders are Vladimir Slutsker
of the Federation Council representing Chuvashiya and
Ambartsum Safayan, former director of Rostek, a Russian
customs brokerage. In 2005, Slutsker wrote to law
enforcement authorities that his partner, Safayan, had been
embezzling money and should be investigated. Earlier this
year, the Basmanny Court issued a warrant for Safayan's
arrest on fraud associated with Finvest and on charges of
property damage. Press reports state that Safayan's defense
attorney has explained that since Safayan was in custody at
the time of Kaziakhmedov's murder, he could not be a suspect
in the case.
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Comment
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3. (SBU) In an symbolic twist, Kaziakhmedov's murder
occurred just two weeks after the first anniversary of the
murder of Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Andrey Kozlov.
Kozlov was widely believed to have been targeted for his
increased influence in shutting down dirty banks and is the
most prominent official to have been murdered for pursuing
anti-corruption cases. End Comment.
Russell