Formation of St. Petersburg. Power groups in Russia. Part 3

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Somehow in 2006, the hard and hopeless life of the inhabitants of the town of Tour de Pey on Lake Geneva was interrupted by a striking event: some rich Russian from St. Petersburg bought a local landmark for $ 30 million - the Chateau de Sulli estate, where when was the founder of Credit Suisse, Wilhelm Escher.

The new owner of the estate was a guy with money. In the manor house, large-scale repairs immediately began, the installation of sophisticated security systems, as well as the construction of a stable and a swimming pool for bathing horses (the owner and his wife were fond of horse riding). New large-sized trees were purchased for the estate, which were delivered there … by helicopter. It's faster this way. Soon, Château de Sulli became one of the most expensive estates on the Swiss Riviera. All over it was felt that the new owner of the estate decided to settle in Switzerland for a long time.

I even ordered a super-expensive motor yacht “Nina” of the Riva Rivale 52 brand from Italy. It's clean to drive along Lake Geneva. Rivale 52 from the Italian shipyard "Riva" is such a motorboat for oligarchs. 16 meters long, three cabins plus a salon, all the fun - from $ 1 million. At the same time, the identity of the Russian nouveau riche has long remained a mystery to the inhabitants of the town of Tour de Pei: who settled next to them? - In official documents and in person, he introduced himself as Ilias Traber, a Greek citizen.

It was clear that Monsieur Traber is a rich man and runs some kind of international business. He often traveled to Europe, to France, Spain, Russia, dealt with some offshore funds. Other oddities were associated with the affairs of Monsieur Traber on the French Riviera and in Monaco. In the summer, all the Russian elite came to the Lazurka to hang out, bought up villas, expensive apartments, yacht parking.

In France, there is such a unit under the tax service - BKR (control and investigation brigades). Something like the tax police. In 2002, the BKR of the Alpes-Maritimes department (which includes the Cote d'Azur) investigated the purchase of real estate by Russians in the region.

They collected data about people and checked it through various channels, incl. through the special services. A report was prepared for official use, but some parts of it got into the press (in the weekly "Express"). In particular, the BKR report indicated that Ilya Traber bought an apartment in Nice for 7 million francs (this was even before the introduction of the euro), which, according to the French special services, is “connected with the Tambov group that controls the port of St. Petersburg”. Yes, but Ilya Traber - that was the name of Monsieur Ilyas Traber according to his second, Russian passport. It turns out that he also has real estate in Nice. And with what people he is friendly! But that's not all.

The most expensive and iconic place of the Cote d'Azur, the Principality of Monaco, is located 20 km from Nice. Here, in the casino of Monte Carlo, under the tsar, Russian princes, counts and authorities (in the field of literature) played roulette. But a remarkable fact: since 2000, Monsieur Traber has been declared persona non grata in Monaco. They didn’t let him into the nativity scene. For what? - For money laundering. In 1999-2000. he was involved in the case of the local offshore company Sotram, which was suspected of various bad deeds. Following the investigation, Traber and his companion Dmitry Skigin were barred from entering Monaco forever.

What happened there was unknown for a long time (the authorities of the principality did not begin to publicize the incident). The details were revealed many years later by Robert Eringer, Monaco's former chief of intelligence, after stepping down from his post in 2007. American Robert Eringer and his close friend, retired CIA officer Claire George have worked for the Prince of Monaco since 1999, secretly collecting information about suspicious foreigners.

In 2002-2007 Eringer had the official status of the head of the intelligence of Monaco (the prince's security advisor). As Eringer said, the Sotrama firm in Monaco was suspected of laundering money from the Tambovskaya organized criminal group, illegal transactions with Russian oil, as well as arms trading and paying kickbacks for corruption schemes. Eringer not only told about this investigation, but also published some documents, incl. dossier of the Monaco police on the firm "Sotrama". Fragment of the dossier.

Hmmm … And Monsieur Traber is really from Tambov: Wow! - Petersburg Oil Terminal. OBIP is the management company of the seaport of St. Petersburg. Horizon International Trading is an office in Liechtenstein, where profits from a filling complex in Pulkovo, which in 1996 were given to Traber and his colleagues, were poured. Total: the St. Petersburg port, the oil terminal, Pulkovo - everything is under the control of the bandits …..

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