REVIEW TOPICS:
SBU creates division on counteraction to contraband and corruption
SBU will tell truth about Soviet MGB agents destroying people in Western Ukraine
Security Service of Ukraine to wait for Mayor of Moscow at border
Former KGB chief Kryuchkov dies in Moscow
Lugovoy speaks out to TV channel Russia Today a year after Litvinenko murder
Putin discusses with Russia’s Security Council members in St.Petersburg
Role of Czech Prime Minister in intelligence leak investigated
Czech government opening door to organised crime, opposition says
Parliamentary committee rejects Laborc’s nomination for head of Hungary’s security service
Ukraine's SBU creates division on counteraction to contraband and corruption
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has created a division which will counteract contraband and corruption in law enforcement bodies, news agency RBC-Ukraine reports, referring to TV 5th channel.
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The division includes 96 operatives who will cooperate with other SBU servicemen in operations on struggle against contraband. Besides they should prevent corruption at customs, in militia, Office of Public Prosecutor and the SBU. The division will also exchange information about counteraction to contraband with special services of the countries bordering with Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko has expressed his criticism concerning activity of customs in the view of insufficient control of economic borders of Ukraine, and law enforcement bodies members as a whole - for corruption, RBC-Ukraine notes.
AIA already reported last week that President Yushchenko ordered the firing of Ukraine’s top customs officials and the creation of a new counterintelligence department within the Security Service to crack down on illegal imports. At a SBU session, President Yuschenko urged Valentin Nalyvaychenko to submit the project of the new department within seven days.
SBU will tell truth about Soviet MGB agents destroying people in Western Ukraine
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) possesses the document demonstrating crimes committed by the agents of the Soviet Ministry of State Security (MGB), who destroyed people in the Western Ukraine dressed up as soldiers of Ukraine’s Insurgent Army (UPA), news agency Interfax-Ukraine reports. It says the document will be publicised soon.
" We are possessing a document now that was known to [then one of Soviet leaders] Khrushchev in 1949. It is high time to publicise it", said acting Chairman of the SBU Valentin Nalyvaychenko speaking on air of the Ukrainian 5th TV channel. He said the document was a written answer of one of military prosecutors about the special militants who posing as a type of UPA groups acted in the Western Ukraine.
Nalyvaychenko said the distortions and lie about the UPA and the Hero of Ukraine Shukkhevich had been already introduced at that time by the MGB punitive expeditions, „and this lie lives till nowadays".
Nalyvaychenko has informed that in the archives of the State Office of Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine there are more than 500,000 files about the so-called "exposure of kulaks" and other crimes against the Ukrainian peasantry, that have not been ever publicised, RBC-Ukraine reports. „We should enable each citizen of Ukraine to see what occured to our relatives in even not so distant past, in the 1940s and 1950s. This was the second wave of destruction of Ukranian peasantry, that was deported to remote areas, to Kazakhstan and so on ", news agency cites Nalyvaychenko. He assured that regional managements of the SBU are ready to promote local authorities in reception of truthful documents by consideration of such questions.
The acting Chairman of the SBU also told the viewers that in reply to an SBU inquiry on Great Hunger in Ukraine, Kazakhstan has already transferred the first lists of victims to the SBU and the head of the Russian FSB had answered that sych lists were being prepared and the copies would be conveyed to the Ukrainian counterpart.
Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko has ephasized that Ukraine’s policy on recognition of the Great Hunger of 1932-1933 as genocide against Ukrainians is not directed against other people. In his turn, Nalyvaychenko supported introduction of the criminal liability for organizers of the Great Hunger in Ukraine. " The documents we have publicised testify that it was genocide. Those who gave these orders clearly understood that those were criminal orders, those who executed people also understood that they destroyed civilians, and victims of this genocide also testified the same, ” said the acting SBU head.
Security Service of Ukraine to wait for Mayor of Moscow at border
Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) will seek to question the mayor of Moscow Yuriy Luzhkov at the Ukrainian border, if he comes to Ukraine, in connection with his recent statement as for the doubtful fact that the Crimea belongs to Ukraine, daily Ukrayinska Pravda reports, referring to an interview to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency of the SBU Head Valentyn Nalyvaychenko.
“There have been some dubious statements about my country, issued by foreign citizens, and I can assure, within my competence, that if this person is planning to come to Ukraine, we will be waiting for him and will question him as soon as he arrives,” Nalyvaychenko stated.
Answering the question whether SBU is likely to take stronger measures, for instance, to declare Luzhkov persona non grata, Nalyvaychenko emphasized: “Such statements have not been made at the Ukrainian territory so far. If Mr. Luzhkov breaks Ukrainian law, we will be forced to take measures.”
He also marked that the Ukrainian politicians do not usually venture to make such statements. “There are no politicians in Ukraine, who would actually throw doubt upon the territorial integrity of another country,” Nalyvaychenko stated.
He said if that were the case, SBU would react.
The mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov stated to the journalists that he was not afraid of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ukrayinska Pravda writes.
“All I said about the Crimea and Sevastopol was said in sound mind and memory and I am not determined to take my words back,” stated Luzhkov, emphasized that he is not afraid of any security services. “It is not their business whether to let somebody into the country or not. It is to be settled by the government and the Ministry of External Affairs,” Luzhkov is quoted as saying.
On November 22, Luzhkov, while delivering a speech to his electorate, casted serious doubt on the Ukrainian status of the Crimea and also stated that the Black Sea Fleet should remain in Sevastopol forever.
Lugovoy speaks out to TV channel Russia Today a year after Litvinenko murder
On the first anniversary of destruction of the former Russian FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, former Kremlin bodyguard-turned businessman Andrei Lugovoy who was named by Scotland Yard as the prime murder suspect, spoke to anchorman of the Russia Today TV channel about detaild of his last meeting with Litvinenko and also his version of the events.
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Andrei Lugovoy |
Lugovoy said Litvinenko had offered him certain business that later poured out in recruiting actions concerning him. He stated he „worked with the Russian General Prosecutor Office investigating the fact of [Litvinenko’s] death” and he also „collaborates with the investigatory directorate of the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service]”. Lugovoy alleged that when Litvinenko was still alive,” we [ Lugovoy and his business partner Dmitry Kovtun who also met Litvinenko shortly before his fatal illness] officially applied to the British embassy, suggesting to arrive to the territory of Britain. We have the copies of documents accepted by the British embassy. However the British intelligence initially created such conditions that we did not go there. (..) After the British prosecutor's office publicly, not having made any official invitation to me to London, charged me, it became obvious that the matter was politized.” If they have proofs, let they send these proofs to Moscow, said Lugovoy.
He also said he was ready to pass a polygraph test. Lugovoy added they had a polygraph in group of his companies Sedmaya volna. „We help our clients to select the personnel by means of a polygraph”. Commenting an article of The Sun alleging that he had made at least three attempts to kill Litvinenko with polonium, Lugovoy said „there is no many or a little attempts when one uses polonium. It is so radioactive, that an absolutely insignificant doze is enough to make it unnecessary to repeat attempts. Besides traces of polonium were found not only in those places where I stopped, but (..) such traces have been found out also in those places where I never have been”.
Lugovoy also wonders why the British side has not transferred to the Russian General Prosecutor’s office the major proof in the Litvinenko case, the autopsy materials. „This once again speaks that they do not want completely fair investigation”, Lugovoy concludes.
Putin discusses with Russia’s Security Council members in St.Petersburg
Russian President Federation Vladimir Putin held his regular Saturday conference with members of the Security Council in St.Petersburg yesterday, news agency ITAR-TASS reports, referring to the Presidential Press Service.
Taking part in the conference were Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, Speaker of the Federation Council Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov, Head of the Kremlin’s Administration Sergei Sobyanin, First Vice Premier Dmitry Medvedev, First Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, Director of the Federal Security Service Nikolai Patrushev and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, Defense Minister Anatoli Serdyukov and Acting Secretary of the Security Council Valentin Sobolev. It is said by the Presidential Press Service that Putin and the officials discussed various aspects of Russia’s domestic and foreign policy.
Former KGB chief Kryuchkov dies in Moscow
Former KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, one of the organizers of the failed coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, has died aged 83 of heart attack. News agencies, referring to the Federal Security Service (FSB), said Kryuchkov had died in a Moscow hospital.
One of leaders of the Soviet state some day, General Kryuchkov died in a usual ward of the
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elite Central Clinical Hospital. One month ago, on October 23, paramedics delivered the ex-chief Soviet chief spymaster in grave condition to the hospital. At once he was brough to intensive care branch where doctors struggled for his life several days, Moscow newspaper Tvoy den says. Then his condition stabilized a little, threat of an insult passed, the patient was transferred to a cardiology ward. Kryuchkov spent exactly a month in the Central Clinical Hospital where he died on November 23.
It is known that Kryuchkov owed his career rise to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. He worked alongside Andropov when he served as the Soviet ambassador to Hungary, and oversaw suppression of anti-Communist uprising in Budapest in 1956. When Andropov became KGB chief in 1967, he took Kryuchkov along. In 1974, Kryuchkov was named chief of the KGB's First Main Directorate in charge of spying abroad. Gorbachev appointed Kryuchkov as head of the KGB in 1988. In August 1991, Kryuchkov joined other Communist Party leadership hard-liners who ousted Gorbachev and declared a nationwide state of emergency. Kryuchkov and other coup plotters were jailed but later freed on an amnesty.
In recent years, Kryuchkov raised his public profile, publishing his memoirs and giving numerous interviews in which he accused the West of plotting against Russia. He was frequently invited to Kremlin events by Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB official.
Role of Czech Prime Minister in intelligence leak investigated
The Czech Chamber of Deputies commission monitoring counter-intelligence BIS activity has started investigating whether Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek violated the law and abused his office in the case of the leak of classified information from BIS, the Aktualne.cz server writes. Topolanek has rejected any possible fault.
News agency CTK notes that at the beginning of this year BIS informed Topolanek about an information leak and Topolanek allegedly entrusted BIS director Jiri Lang with a task for the counter-intelligence service to investigate the leak. However, under the law, it is exclusively the government and not its members or even the prime minister who can entrust the service with tasks.
According to Aktualne.cz, the government has not charged BIS with such investigation. The ministers told the server that they only learned about the information leak from journalists.
"The prime minister told us that the BIS director informed him about the case and he charged him with the task to resolve the matter," head of the Chamber of Deputies commission monitoring BIS Jeronym Tejc (senior opposition Social Democrats, CSSD) said.
"We have therefore asked BIS for official information about what tasks the government has assigned to it. If it was the prime minister who assigned the task, it could be a violation of the law," Tejc added.
According to the server, Topolanek now speaks about a recommendation he gave to Lang, and not a task imposed.
"You know well that only the government can assign BIS with tasks and don't try to make a fool of me. The information-recommendation chain is not only legal, but it is true, and give it a rest," Aktualne.cz quotes Topolanek as saying in his SMS message.
BIS recently admitted that its former officer stole classified data three years ago. It said, however, that the information was three-years-old at the time of the leak.
Later, the former officer tried to sell it but the deal finally fell through.
According to BIS, the information was threatened but it was not abused nor did it end up with the people who could abuse it.
However, some experts have questioned the explanation.
The leaked data concerned the economic area, for instance, privatisation and state tenders.
Czech government opening door to organised crime, opposition says
The conduct of the government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is opening the door to organised crime and its security policy means tolerance of economic crime and corruption, senior opposition Social Democrats leader Jiri Paroubek said, according to a press release, news agency CTK reports. The Social Democrats arrived at this conclusion after it examined the government's work in the sphere of the secret services, judiciary and police, according to Paroubek. The recently published annual report by the BIS counter-intelligence service published is alarming, Paroubek considers, adding he would therefore initiate meetings of the relevant lower house committees and demand that the cabinet solve the situation.
The BIS reported, among other things, that organised crime groups intensified pressure on state administration bodies in the Czech Republic last year, trying to gain money via state orders and subsidies, CTK says.
Karel Randak, head of the UZSI intelligence service, considered one of the best experts in intelligence, was dismissed under unclear circumstances, too, Paroubek said. In addition, by canceling the financial police squad, Topolanek's government opened space for organised crime and legalisation of income gained through criminal activities, Paroubek said, adding this was proved by police statistics.
Parliamentary committee rejects Laborc’s nomination to head Hungary’s security service
A parliamentary committee on November 23 rejected nomination of Sandor Laborc, 49, for head of Hungary's security service, news agencies are reporting from Budapest.
Laborc has studied national security more than six years at the USSR State Security Committee Academy named after Dzerzhinsky in Moscow. Experts in Hungary saw this as a risky appointment because most of his fellow students are now high-ranking Russian intelligence offciers. The opposition say Laborc’s appointment would risk cooperation with Hungary's NATO partners.
Daily Magyar Hirlap accused Laborc of having a KGB past and voiced suspicion that the Russian Federal Security Service or Foreign Intelligence Service had a hand in the nomination. "This story is proof that we really do live in a post-communist system, with the emphasis on 'post'. As long as secret service members trained by the KGB are able to obtain top posts in Hungary, communism, which is supposed to have been relegated to the past, will live on. Haven't the 17 years that have passed since the fall of communism been long enough for leaders to be trained who are free of the Soviet legacy and compatible with NATO and the EU?", Magyar Hirlap writes. Washington is also rumoured to have raised objections to Laborc's links with the former Soviet security establishment, according to other Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet.
In spite of the decision of the commission, Hungarian government pledges not to give up its intention to approve its candidate as the new boss of the Hungarian secret service.
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