They are the ones who have the true power

Fraud, extortion, bribery, businesses operating in Russia are faced with a formidable scourge, economic crime, that the Russian President has also identified as the "main threat to national security." He acknowledged that mid-September of disarming manner that "corrupt officials lead the country." They are the ones who have the true power. "Corruption is systemic in nature, with deep historical roots." That supports the global report on economic crime published a few days ago by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). This survey from June to November with approximately 3,000 executives business in 54 of the major economic powers of the world class Russia the worst in the world. Entrepreneurs, Russian as expatriates, operating in the homeland of Dostoyevsky are facing a crime all over the place, on the part of employees as of mafia officials. 71 Of the 86 respondents personalities were faced major fraud cases in the past twelve months, a result worse than that of the country ranked second on the list, the South Africa (62), or as that of the third, Kenya (57). And, worse, since then PWC's final report, in 2007, only 59 of Russian executives were such cases of fraud. It is true that the economic crisis, which is translated by a decline of 11 of Russian GDP in the second quarter this year, is passed by, urging employees to steal more and more greedy officials to be in fear of shortage tomorrow. In addition, a large part of Russian economic activity is concentrated in areas of annuity (mines and energy) where fraud and corruption rampant particularly everywhere in the world, says PWC.

A disturbing death

The publication of this report occurs in the wake of a dramatic incident illustrating the impunity and audacity with which criminals in white collar, or rather to epaulettes, Russia. Counsel for the firm of Hermitage, Sergei Magnitsky, 37, died in murky circumstances in prison where he was imprisoned for tax evasion, classic charge used by officials seeking to intimidate the trouble-makers. Hermitage, first Fund to have believed in the Russia after the fall of the wall and that it had invested heavily, had filed 35 complaints ("Les Echos" of August 7, 2008) for fraud and misconduct against judges, lawyers and officers of the Ministry of the Interior (which would be linked to the Directorate K of FSB, responsible for economic intelligence). Hermitage (which had also seized the chaired anti-corruption commission by...) (Dimitri Medvedev) accused them of engaging in a scam based on parts confiscated during illegal searches, backdated documents, infringement of registers of shareholders, legal actions launched by holders of passport stolen, etc., which was translated by an embezzlement of 230 million against the Russian State. The pattern of Hermitage, William Bowder (prohibited to stay in the country since 2006) considers that "this type of case can happen to anyone in Russia and demonstrates the criminalization of State structures". Five Russian Hermitage lawyers, fearing for their lives, had left the country, but Sergei Magnitsky had remained to testify against an officer of the Ministry of the Interior...