Paul
Goble
Staunton, January 15 – Igor Bitkov,
a Russian industrialist who fell afoul of oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin
and was forced to flee to Guatemala was sentenced on January 10 to 19 years in
prison there for hiding his identity and ordered to sell off all his assets to
pay a claim by the VTB bank which played a key role a decade ago in seizing his
company for the oligarchs.
In addition, his wife was also
sentenced to 19 years in prison and his daughter 14 years behind bars. Others, including Guatemalan officials, who
helped the Bitkovs protect their identity, were also sentenced to long prison
terms. And under Guatemalan law, if his
appeals fail, he will not be able to be paroled before completing his entire
sentence.
The Guatemalan court also said it
would bring a second case against Bitkov for money laundering to which he could
be sentenced for an additional term as well Not
surprisingly the Russian bank involved is delighted, but those concerned about justice
and the reach of Russian private and often illicit power abroad shouldn’t be (kommersant.ru/doc/3516412).
Spokesmen for the VTB bank said they
would aggressively pursue anyone who has what they believe are their assets
illegitimately regardless of what country they are located it, an indication that
the numerous Russian businessmen who have been forced into emigration are
likely to find themselves even more at risk after the Bitkov verdict than
before.
But even more troubling than that is
that this entire case trumped up by the oligarchs and their bankers against
Igor Bitkov is really yet another aspect of the Putin regime’s efforts to
suppress all criticism and opposition and its willingness to bend or ignore the
law in the pursuit of wealth by its supporters.
For background on the Bitkovs and the
persecution they have suffered, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2015/08/putin-economy-based-on-theft-cant.html,
windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-bitkov-case-dangerous-sign-of-times.html,
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