Putin's secret Stash!

The Guardian discusses the fortune that Vladimir Putin has secretly amassed and his decision on a successor who would be pliable to his wishes and also offer him immunity. But the revelation in a direct statement that any person or corporation could be shut down on the whim of the government due to the manner in which Putin actually set up Government during his terms as President. We are pleased to know though that Putin is not directly running the country as President. Hopefully we will gradually see more and more freedoms and liberalization of the Liberties of Russians. As successive elections occur their could be a major adjustment to the direction of Russia. But we could see reversals along the way. It is necessary for the Russian "FREE" Media to work as an independent voice as a questioning body. This along with the continuous vigilance that the media offers will help the evolution of this country as a freer nation. One of the elements we all believe can bring unvarnished access to vital information is the Internet, including all of it's portals. These elements are all growing at every turn, but don't be too excited, as we saw the shutdown of all computer communications portals during the Russian- Georgia war. We must remain vigilant. #WikiLeaks cables claim Vladimir Putin has secret wealth (est. $40 billion) hidden abroad http://t.co/RjsrXed via @guardian #russia #putin WikiLeaks cables claim Vladimir Putin has secret wealth hidden abroadLeaked US embassy dispatches allege former Russian president used proxies to hide 'illicit wealth' Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Photograph: Gleb Garanich/REUTERSLuke HardingThe Guardian, Wed 1 Dec 2010 21.29 GMTVladimir Putin has secret assets hidden abroad, leaked US cables from the former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice allege. Citing opposition sources, Rice said Putin refused to install a strong successor when he stepped down as president in 2008 because he was afraid he could become the target of "law enforcement investigations".Putin's objective at the time was to secure his "alleged illicit proceeds", the cables from her office said.Other classified cables referred repeatedly to the "secretive Swiss-based oil trading firm Gunvor" as an alleged source of Putin's undisclosed wealth. The US ambassador in Moscow, John Beyrle, described the company as being closely connected to the Kremlin, and said its "secretive ownership is rumoured to include prime minister Putin".Gunvor said in 2007: "It is plain wrong to state that President Putin owns any part of Gunvor or is a beneficiary of its activities."But the allegations are likely to lead to fresh scrutiny of Putin's personal wealth, following claims three years ago amid Kremlin infighting that he was Europe's richest man.One political analyst, Stanislav Belkovksy, estimated at the time Putin was worth at least $40bn (£25bn). Putin ignored the story for several months, but eventually described reports that he had amassed a fortune through undisclosed links with business people as "just rubbish, picked out of someone's nose and smeared on bits of paper".The Rice cable reported a conversation between an opposition leader, who was visiting Washington, and David Kramer, the then deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs.At this point Putin, who had already served two terms as president, was carefully weighing who to endorse as his successor. The obvious frontrunner appeared to be Sergei Ivanov, a charismatic, multilingual former KGB intelligence officer and deputy prime minister with experience of the west.The opposition leader, however, told Rice's office that Putin was "nervously seeking to secure his future immunity from potential law enforcement investigations into his alleged illicit proceeds", and needed to find someone more pliable, the cable noted. "He commented that Putin was afraid of Ivanov, deeply distrustful, and that he needed a weaker figure to succeed him instead."He argued that Putin understands that under the system he has created there is no real rule of law and that at any time anyone can be arrested or businesses destroyed."The opposition leader's predictions were spot on. Putin spurned Ivanov and picked the weaker Dmitry Medvedev, who duly became Russia's president in May 2008, and now, according to further leaked US cables, plays "Robin to Putin's Batman".

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