Renaissance of crime of the 90s Today, I would like to tell you one fascinating tale from Russia, how under the nose of The Kremlin lies a true wolf of the underworld businessman Dmitry Zusmanovich acts, having the gall to be praised with false awards and fake FSB protection. But how does this story begin? Born in 1961, Zusmanovich got his higher technical education in an institution nowadays known as Zaporozhye National Technical University (Ukraine). In his youth, he dabbled in many occupations ranging from electrician to truck driver. However, his first entrepreneurial effort was darker and more interesting - and he tells it to journalists with pride. Young Dmitry killed flies for his aunt and in return for each unfortunate creature, he received one kopek. Perhaps one might conclude that theres nothing wrong with such actions, but during the socialism era in Russia, such behavior was widely accepted as indecent. Roughly speaking, from his childhood Zusmanovich trampled on the moral foundations of society. The fact is that since 1991, society in Russia has changed drastically, but still our hero hasn't adjusted accordingly. Dimitry's questionable behavior continued into his student years as he engaged in the illegal production of leather handbags. Yes, the USSR of the 70s and beginning of the 80s was rife with illegal businesses, but it is one thing to brag about breaking the law with friends, but it's quite another to boast publicly about such exploits. Despite wanting to draw public comparisons of himself to the likes of Rockefeller or Ford, Zusmanovich gives off the impression that he is more of a swindler than a businessman. Business in Ukrainian Zusmanovichs enterprises are also very interesting subject, nowadays he controls many assets: *Factory in Ukraine, in the city Slavyansk, with a trade mission in Moscow *Publishing house (Zaporozhye, Ukraine) *Recreation facility (Crimea) *Health-improving complex (Zaporozhye, Ukraine). It should be noted that this health-improving complex is located in the building of a departmental bath-house. How that bath-house has passed under Zusmanovich's control is a riddle. *Housing estate under construction since 2006 (Yalta, Ukraine). There is another dark story connected with that construction, but I will mention it later. *Small businesses in Zaporozhye include a car wash and family-type clinic, which is involved in speculations of medicines. *Also he has founded transport corporation which has its office in the Czech Republic Zusmanovich owns real estate in Crimea, Zaporozhye, and Moscow. Its worth noting that Dmitry Zusmanovich's broad contacts with corrupt judges have allowed him to successfully win all cases directed against him. All of this activity is highly reminiscent of that of the recently deceased Boris Berezovsky who also started his political activity with some questionable deals and corrupt courts. And like Berezovsky, who transferred his capital abroad (England); Zusmanovich transfers his capital to The Czech Republic (where in addition to a transport company he has real estate and his family also lives in Prague). Here are some of his business dealings. Speaking about the well-known infamous housing estate under construction... The owner and general director of the company-developer Trade Industry Transnational company Keramist Zusmanovich decided to start a huge scam and to profit off of the same project twice. Not to enrich the exchequer, the sly businessman decided to sell apartments separately and build houses separately, to absolve himself of responsibility. For these purposes, Zusmanovich, with his friends from the asset management company, founded the KUA Capital Group fund and sold every square meter in the form of target bonds on fund. Buyers of the apartments were told: - We are the company Keramist. We build and lease a house in operation, but to buy an apartment you can only do so by purchasing bonds from the KUA Capital Group, specifically by paying money to the fund. But we, Keramist, have no relation to the fund. We defend only on bonds. This way Zusmanovich earned Keramist just a little money (only enough for housing construction), and the rest to put in the fund. Naturally, if a tax inspector came to Keramist, Zusmanovich would say: - How can I pay the tax if I have no profit? Everything could have been ok, but it seemed to Dmitry Zusmanovich that he could earn more money. That is why he decided to add additional floors to the building. Theres no mention with whom and how he made a deal, but our hero was allowed to make the building a little higher a mere 4 floor increase. Not to make all of this look suspicious he lobbied for the installation of a monument to Pushkin in Yalta instead of payments. The payments for the production and installation of the monument were made from his Keramist company account. He made money off of the Administration of Yalta in such a small deal (as one could guess that the cost of the installation was very immodest) and then went on a self-PR campaign, saying that he was a patron of the arts and general philanthropist. He went as far as to say that he even installed the monument to the great poet for free (gratis). Such tax tricks, of course, are not surprising nowadays. Hardly anyone would say that its a damnable offense, and we are not judging him for that however, what follows is a different story. Dimitry, despite living in the lap of luxury, decided that his income was insufficient and therefore decided again to make additional floors to the building. But then bad luck. At a meeting with the Head of Crimea at the time, Vasily Jarty, the citizens of Yalta drew their attention to the abomination that was the building and decided to investigate. The Head of Crimea investigated and unsurprisingly, found many building violations - notably that the building was higher than it should have been and the construction did not correspond to the project aim. Upon discovering this, the Head of Crimea stopped the construction. An upset Zusmanovich had several choices: pack his bags, finish construction on the sold apartments, or give back money. Not wanting to give back the money or lose the house, Zusmanovich began to send his own money from his fund to Keramist in the form of loans. The money was then transferred from Keramist with the pretense of damages and repayments of loans abroad, to his native Czech Republic, where his family had moved into a modest home. Everything was ready for bankruptcy and then some luck. His enemy the Head of Crimea Administration suddenly died. Unfortunately, every square meter had already been sold. Zusmanovich, needing to give something back, had a private meeting with investors of the fund. They devised a plan to make the original sale of the two floors invalid, because during 3 years one investor of the fund had not known about the transaction and sale of securities made by Mr. Bilyk and Mr. Khomenko. By the way, these men were players in a similar story: in January 2008, the hotel Yes was seized after a decision made by one regional court in Dnepropetrovsk. It turned out that year ago one of the Keramist employees, Khomenko, came into debt 10,000 Hryvnia ($ 1,800) with another employee of the same company Mr. Bilyk. But for all that, the Transnational Corporation acted not only as guarantor of this deal, but also agreed to make the pledge - all of its 50% shares of the hotel. Such care for employees helped Zusmanovich to zeroize the share of his partners in common business the hotel Yes. However, Zusmanovich not only "dumps" his clients, he has also been a victim of scams. For example, he strongly miscalculated the cooperation with the Strong Ukraine party, which got, more than once, into scandals connected with the trade of deputy mandates. The story of cooperation between Zusmanovich and the Strong Ukraine party began in August 2009. The meeting between Dmitry Zusmanovich and the Strong Ukraine party leader Sergey Tigipko at that time took place in the capital. Later, after the meeting, our hero agitated for this party in Zaporozhye, however, soon Dmitry learnt that the words spoken by "the strongest Ukrainian", wouldn't always be true. The leader of the Strong Ukraine arrived at the opening of the regular international symposium of the modern art "Biryuchy" (one of organizers of which was Zusmanovich) and declared that the "next Biryuchy" would be from him". However, "it didn't happen", - that year the symposium had passed, but without Sergey Tigipko's financial or any other participation. Dmitry Zusmanovich and Sergey Tigipko met one week prior to the second round of presidential elections, in the capital restaurant "Egoist". The Zaporozhye businessman, devoted to the ideas of "Strong Ukraine", was excited by the main issue: which of the two candidates was to be voted for in the second round? But he got an unexpected answer. "I dont care" - answered the leader of "Strong Ukraine". And then Sergey Tigipko became prime minister, and to get into his office, even for personal acquaintances, became difficult. Businessman Zusmanovich hadn't managed to discuss with the Prime Minister a burning question of money return to enterpreneurs. On November 8, 2009, Zusmanovich met the leader of the Zaporozhye organization "Strong Ukraine" Alexander Ilchuk and asked how he could help the hometown and party, which he trusted. Ilchuk "unexpectedly" answered: Of course, with money!. As a result of negotiations was an association agreement in which its been clearly stated that three persons recommended by Zusmanovich would be entered into the list of candidates of the Zaporozhye city council, at numbers not below the fifth, and Zusmanovich would finance the party activity with 1,050,000 Ukranian Hryvnia ($130,233). And money started to be supplied, but an unexpected thing happened. In Ukraine, the date of elections of local councils was postponed. The new date of elections brought along rumors and conjectures. Then Dmitry Zusmanovich suggested to suspend payments, and to wait when the date of the peoples expression of will would be set. However, when the homeland in the person of deputies of the Verkhovna Rada and the other supreme bodies determined the vote date, Zusmanovich received an unexpected announcement from Ilchuk: financing needed to be doubled. He said, the expenses had increased. And except the increased appetites of the party, there were another news in the lists of city council "party" they could leave only two people recommended by Zusmanovich. The dumbfounded businessman took a break to think it over, but when he came to a conclusion that it was possible to continue financing the party, it appeared that the place had already been occupied. By the way, nobody returned the invested money. Though in all this story there is some perverted justice, but to the Ukrainian people thats no help. Thus our hero is a dishonest businessman, raider and false awards-fancier. Yes, his chest is filled with various obscure orders, which he has actually given to himself (or to his organization). Perhaps, ignorant people would fall for that. It should be noted that Dmitry Zusmanovich always mentions his close acquaintance, Nikolay Azarov (Prime Minister of Ukraine). Though, apparently, this acquaintance hasn't given him any political boosts or at least not yet. If you listen to this man he has connections almost anywhere in Eastern Europe. I would like to put the question differently about which connections Zusmanovich has not said anything? And how all respectable people, acquaintance with whom he is so proud of, tolerate such person in their circle? Nevertheless, politics in Ukraine is such a dark thing that if we make an effort to look into it in such a short article the reader would be thoroughly confused. So lets concentrate only on Zusmanovich. Berezovsky 2.0. The aforementioned stories are nothing compared to what follows. Zusmanovichs political ambitions. I would like to tell about his activity in the organization called Kremlin strategy by Vadim Mingalev, in Crimea. Some time, in the territory of Crimea, Zusmanovich, the businessman, patron of art, politician, owner of Keramist, part-time vice-president of ANO Kremlin Strategy , adviser to the head of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada (of Ukraine), traveled with the mission Kremlin initiative, and frankly speaking with false documents, because his own printing house lets him do anything. At the end of March he appeared for the first time in the office of Crimea Administration with the offer of discussing the questions of joint cooperation with his transnational corporation. At the meeting he began to present Kremlin Strategy as an organization closely linked with The Kremlin and which is tasked from the top management of Russia concerning the reunification of Ukraine and Russia. He claimed that he had connections in Russia and that he had an apartment in Moscow which he got for his merits personally from Vladimir Putin, who was then serving his first term as a President. He talked about his old friendship with Boris Gryzlov, who was his next door neighbor and showed photos from his cell-phone with his Moscow neighbor Igor Butman. He spoke a lot about his being the patron of art and that he was awarded with the Secret Russian Order for the Glory of The Russian Empire. The basic premise of the first meeting was his offer for the Joint Initiative Board of Ukraine to join the Customs Union of Russia-Belorussia-Kazakhstan, not free of charge, of course. He promised to negotiate the framework of the common space competitive advantages on the market of transportations and customs clearance in Crimea, he said, as the parties of that initiative group, the Administration of Crimea will itself write the laws and regulations, concerning the annexation of Ukraine to the common customs space. Again, he appeared in the Administration of Crimea at the end of summer and announced that he served in a secret unit of the FSB and that the center Kremlin Strategy was only the tip of the iceberg (the legend) which helps the FSB freely make its work. He immediately declared that the customs union was not the main aim; the main task a united state. He began to talk about the weakness of the existing regime, that the displacement of Luzhkov and filling his place with Sobyanin was part of the plan of annexation, at least of Crimea (he connected it with reduction of expenses of Moscow for supporting Sevastopol), he was talking about preparation for the following year's elections and hinted that his printing-house in Zaporozhye (its a part of his transnational corporation Keramist) had been bought with FSB money with the aim to print voting papers and various leaflets. He claimed that he, along with the top management of Kremlin Strategy, formed the team and pre-election headquarters with like-minded persons that would take the key places in the government of Ukraine afterwards, and after unification with Russia, could take a place in newly created entities of Russia. He offered participation on the first step financed at the rate of $ 50,000 also connected with the search for funds to fight the putrid structures. By way it was necessarily in the form of cash payments or payments to accounts of non-residents (due to the ruling party keeping track for all suspicious transactions). Instead of requisites for transactions, Zusmanovich showed a very suspicious document, as if it was secret account of FSB. The answer was everybody refused to transfer money to that account. The contract was required. In a week, our swindler appeared again with the contract in broken English where the owner and the head of Keramist Dmitry Zusmanovich was the signatory (allowed by P.O.A.) and the subject of the contract was consulting services. Zusmanovich's pre-election companies are a separate and very long story which does not fit entirely within the scope of this article. However, it should be noted that in election periods his printing-house repeatedly appeared in the center of the scandals connected with the printing of false voting papers, content censorship, printing of various awarding scams, etc. He took part in several unsuccessful elections bids, including one as a candidate from Putins Policy Party a political layer created by Victor Yushchenkos order and which has collected all Ukraine's political hacks. During pre-election events he actively used communications in Moscow by bringing actors and musicians for performances. But the most important is that this person dares to not only lie to his electors, but also to introduce himself as the agent of special services of a neighboring country (even if according to his plan, it should have remained behind closed doors). I am not in vain when I mention Boris Berezovsky, who, in Russia, was jokingly called Boris B. (such an evil genius). He also had doubtful sources of financing and connections with criminal organizations all over the world. Maybe Dimitiry Z. gets money from Islamic radicals with the aim to destabilize Eastern-European States? There are other financing sources. On the territory of the Russian Federation from the moment of its state registration on the January 30th, 2012, the Eurasian Union of Industrialists and entrepreneurs carries out its activities. The founders of this legal entity are: 1. the international charitable organization "Humanitarian Foundation "United World", 2. Autonomous nonprofit organization "Center for Promotion of Structural Development of the State Economic Programs and National Projects "Kremlin strategy. To track in detail the flow of money is very difficult but we can definitely say it comes from abroad. Thus we can come to the conclusion that Eurasian Union of Industrialists and entrepreneurs and ANO Center Kremlin strategy perform the functions of foreign agent as they get funds and other property from foreign organizations and take part in political activity on the territory of Russia, including the interests of foreign sources. Considering the status of "Kremlin strategy", such communications cause extreme fears, after all, Zusmanovich's accomplices have an opportunity to contact the people having a direct bearing on the military industrial complex of Russia. Considering "KR" registered in the charter postulates concerning the development of defense capability of Russia. I understand that it sounds a little surreal, but if you think about it, Russia today is almost the only defense between Islamic radicals and Eastern Europe. Where will they direct their forces if the barrier is broken? And it is even more terrible if the newest development of Russian arms manufacturers fall into the wrong hands. All of us remember the tragedy on September 11th. What if a similar incident occurs not only in New York, but in London, Paris, Los Angeles or Washington maybe I exaggerate, maybe, but not long ago we could see the World Trade Center being destroyed in front of our eyes. Supporting my hypothesis: not so long ago the site of "Kremlin Strategy" was hacked by Iraqi hackers. On the site appeared a photo of Osama Bin Ladin and the flag of Iraq. The hack is unlikely to be malicious; it is rather a PR stunt and a sign. Why Iraq? Why not Ukrainian, Russian, European or Chinese hackers? In this story a lot of questions remain. The strangest in all this is this silence of the Kremlin and Kiev, as if to them it is all the same? Why hasn't anyone from Lubyanka searched for this person? Well, if the Kremlin and Kiev don't see what has been created right under its nose, maybe it is time for Washington to pay attention to it? What will happen if a person like Dmitry Zusmanovich finds serious political weight?
