Andrei Kozlov
Encyclopedia
Andrei Andreyevich Kozlov was the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation
from 1997 to 1999 and again in 2002 to 2006.
Kozlov was fluent in Russian
, German
, and English
. He was married, and had three children. Kozlov died on September 14, 2006, in Hospital No. 33 in Moscow
from gunshot wounds he sustained the night before.
and served in the Soviet Army
from 1983 to 1985. He then attended the faculty of international economics at Moscow Institute of Finance, where he graduated in 1989. He began working at the Soviet Union's central bank in the same year as a senior economist. He left the Bank of Russia in 1999 to work in the private sector, before returning to the Bank of Russia in April 2002.
Kozlov introduced a deposit insurance
system and founded the Deposit Insurance Agency
to restore public faith in the banking system after the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Kozlov prevented other banks from continuing operation by denying them access to the deposit insurance system. As head of bank supervision, Kozlov withdrew licences from banks suspected of money laundering and other crimes. In 2004, Kozlov took control of Sodbiznesbank, accusing the bank of engaging in laundering ransom money from hostage-taking. In 2006 he revoked the license of Neftyanoi Bank.
In 2005, Kommersant
reported that Kozlov is "valued as a top-of-the-line professional. He is also given due credit as one of those who started the formation of the stock market in Russia." After his death, Kommersant credited Kozlov with combating "gray schemes," illegal importing practices that minimize customs duties and value-added tax payments.
On September 8, 2006, the Friday before his murder, Kozlov gave a speech at a banking conference in Sochi
, saying, "Those who have been found out laundering criminal money should probably be barred from staying in the banking profession for life. Such people disgrace the banking system."
Just days later Kozlov was murdered.
According to Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for the Moscow prosecutor's office, two gunmen shot Kozlov in the head and neck at 8:50 PM, but other law enforcement officials claim Kozlov was shot at 8:30 PM. Inna Sergeyeva, deputy head doctor at the Hospital No. 33 in Moscow, said Kozlov later died of his injuries. Prime Minister
Mikhail Fradkov
ordered Prosecutor General Yury Chaika
, who is personally prosecuting the case, to provide regular reports on the investigation.
Kozlov was near the Spartak sports center
with his driver, Alexander Semyonov, when they were shot. Semyonov died at the scene and Kozlov died after doctors unsuccessfully performed emergency surgery. The police later found weapons they suspect were used in the attacks: a "handmade pistol and a modified Baikal pistol
... in tall grass near the Spartak sports center, 250-300 meters away from the site of the incident, during the investigation of the crime scene."
Boris Gryzlov
, speaker of the State Duma
, the lower chamber of parliament, said, "The central bank revoked licenses of a number of banks, and it's quite possible that the gangster
s linked to them might have put out a contract
on him."
investigated Raiffeisen Zentralbank, she was expelled and she says she received a death threat from the FSB.
, said, "Kozlov was a strong believer in reforming the financial markets of Russia. He pushed many radical changes that were important for the banking business." Zolotarev first met Kozlov when they studied at Moscow Financial Institute. Recently they worked together on amendments to a bankruptcy bill, which was to be voted on in the Duma
in late 2006, making subordinated loans equivalent to capital. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin
described Kozlov as "a very courageous and honest personality, who has been on the frontline of the struggle against financial crimes," frequently damaging "the interests of dishonest financiers." Anatoly Chubais
, Chairman of AO UES], said Kozlov was "an undoubtedly honest, principled, and absolutely non-commercial man. He was one of the most professional people in the entire Russian banking sector," calling his assassination a "blatant challenge to the entire Russian government system. This is a case when the authorities must respond in a tough manner, promptly, and mercilessly." Mikhail Grishankov, a senior member of the lower chamber of parliament, said the assassination was a spit in the face of the state. Punishing the killers is a "matter of honor... This is a terrible murder of a person who protected interests of the state and opposed schemes used by some banks to legalize revenues of shadow and criminal business. Criminal groups that control those banks will stop at nothing." The Central Bank issued a statement applauding Kozlov for making a "huge contribution to the reform of the country's banking system, making it more effective, transparent and stable." Oleg V. Vyugin, Russia’s chief securities regulator, in a telephone interview, said, "It was criminals taking revenge for the legal actions of the central bank, and unfortunately Mr. Kozlov paid the price."
On May 18, 2010, the investigators issued an indictment against 58-year-old Sergei Levin, who was one of the jurors in the Frenkel trial. Allegedly he tried to bribe other jurors to rule Frenkel not guilty, because he did not agree with the manner in which the judge carried out the trial. The bribe offer came to light during the trial and he was removed from the jury before they reached the verdict. Levin admitted his guilt during the investigation.
Central Bank of the Russian Federation
The Bank of Russia or the Central Bank of The Russian Federation is the central bank of The Russian Federation. Its functions are described in the Russian constitution and in the special Federal law...
from 1997 to 1999 and again in 2002 to 2006.
Kozlov was fluent in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He was married, and had three children. Kozlov died on September 14, 2006, in Hospital No. 33 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
from gunshot wounds he sustained the night before.
Career
Kozlov was born in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and served in the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
from 1983 to 1985. He then attended the faculty of international economics at Moscow Institute of Finance, where he graduated in 1989. He began working at the Soviet Union's central bank in the same year as a senior economist. He left the Bank of Russia in 1999 to work in the private sector, before returning to the Bank of Russia in April 2002.
Kozlov introduced a deposit insurance
Deposit insurance
Explicit deposit insurance is a measure implemented in many countries to protect bank depositors, in full or in part, from losses caused by a bank's inability to pay its debts when due...
system and founded the Deposit Insurance Agency
Deposit Insurance Agency
Deposit Insurance Agency is a State corporation providing deposit insurance in the Russian Federation. Its headquarters are located in Moscow....
to restore public faith in the banking system after the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Kozlov prevented other banks from continuing operation by denying them access to the deposit insurance system. As head of bank supervision, Kozlov withdrew licences from banks suspected of money laundering and other crimes. In 2004, Kozlov took control of Sodbiznesbank, accusing the bank of engaging in laundering ransom money from hostage-taking. In 2006 he revoked the license of Neftyanoi Bank.
In 2005, Kommersant
Kommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
reported that Kozlov is "valued as a top-of-the-line professional. He is also given due credit as one of those who started the formation of the stock market in Russia." After his death, Kommersant credited Kozlov with combating "gray schemes," illegal importing practices that minimize customs duties and value-added tax payments.
On September 8, 2006, the Friday before his murder, Kozlov gave a speech at a banking conference in Sochi
Sochi
Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
, saying, "Those who have been found out laundering criminal money should probably be barred from staying in the banking profession for life. Such people disgrace the banking system."
Death
Raiffeisen Zentralbank in Austria and Diskont Bank in Russia have been accused of money laundering. In September 2006, Andrey Kozlov revoked Diskont's license.Just days later Kozlov was murdered.
According to Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for the Moscow prosecutor's office, two gunmen shot Kozlov in the head and neck at 8:50 PM, but other law enforcement officials claim Kozlov was shot at 8:30 PM. Inna Sergeyeva, deputy head doctor at the Hospital No. 33 in Moscow, said Kozlov later died of his injuries. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
Mikhail Fradkov
Mikhail Fradkov
Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov is a Russian politician and statesman who was the Prime Minister of Russia from March 2004 to September 2007. Fradkov has been the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service since 2007.-Early life:...
ordered Prosecutor General Yury Chaika
Yury Chaika
Yury Yakovlevich Chaika is the current Prosecutor General of Russia.-Career:Chaika began his career as an electrician in a shipyard. After serving in the army, he graduated from Sverdlovsk Institute of Law in 1976 and began work at Irkutsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office where he served as an...
, who is personally prosecuting the case, to provide regular reports on the investigation.
Kozlov was near the Spartak sports center
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
with his driver, Alexander Semyonov, when they were shot. Semyonov died at the scene and Kozlov died after doctors unsuccessfully performed emergency surgery. The police later found weapons they suspect were used in the attacks: a "handmade pistol and a modified Baikal pistol
Baikal MCM
The MCM is a .22 LR pistol primarily used for competitive target shooting in 25m Standard Pistol class under the rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation for bullseye round-target shooting at 25 m...
... in tall grass near the Spartak sports center, 250-300 meters away from the site of the incident, during the investigation of the crime scene."
Boris Gryzlov
Boris Gryzlov
Boris Vyacheslavovich Gryzlov , is a Russian politician and current Speaker of Russia's State Duma . He is one of the leaders of the largest Russian political party, United Russia...
, speaker of the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
, the lower chamber of parliament, said, "The central bank revoked licenses of a number of banks, and it's quite possible that the gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
s linked to them might have put out a contract
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
on him."
Natalia Morar's investigations
When Natalia MorarNatalia Morar
Natalia Morari is a Moldovan investigative journalist for the Russian magazine New Times. She was a permanent resident of Russia until she was expelled in December 2007, presumably for exposing corruption in Russia. Born in Moldova, she moved to Russia in 2002 to study sociology at the Moscow...
investigated Raiffeisen Zentralbank, she was expelled and she says she received a death threat from the FSB.
Tributes
Levan Zolotarev, a senior vice president at Russian Standard BankRussian Standard Bank
Russian Standard Bank is one of the largest Russian banks and the country's leading consumer lender.The bank was founded in 1999 by Roustam Tariko. It dominates the consumer finance sector in Russia, and has over 54 percent control of the credit card market and over 30 percent control of the point...
, said, "Kozlov was a strong believer in reforming the financial markets of Russia. He pushed many radical changes that were important for the banking business." Zolotarev first met Kozlov when they studied at Moscow Financial Institute. Recently they worked together on amendments to a bankruptcy bill, which was to be voted on in the Duma
Duma
A Duma is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. The State Duma in the Russian Empire and Russian Federation corresponds to the lower house of the parliament. Simply it is a form of Russian governmental institution, that was formed during the reign of the...
in late 2006, making subordinated loans equivalent to capital. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin
Alexei Kudrin
Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin was the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia from 18 May 2000 to 26 September 2011. After graduating with degrees in finance and economics, Kudrin worked in the administration of Saint Petersburg's liberal Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. In 1996 he started...
described Kozlov as "a very courageous and honest personality, who has been on the frontline of the struggle against financial crimes," frequently damaging "the interests of dishonest financiers." Anatoly Chubais
Anatoly Chubais
Anatoly Borisovich Chubais is a Russian politician and business manager who was responsible for privatization in Russia as an influential member of Boris Yeltsin's administration. From 1998 to 2008 he was the head of the state owned electrical power monopoly RAO UES. The 2004 survey by...
, Chairman of AO UES], said Kozlov was "an undoubtedly honest, principled, and absolutely non-commercial man. He was one of the most professional people in the entire Russian banking sector," calling his assassination a "blatant challenge to the entire Russian government system. This is a case when the authorities must respond in a tough manner, promptly, and mercilessly." Mikhail Grishankov, a senior member of the lower chamber of parliament, said the assassination was a spit in the face of the state. Punishing the killers is a "matter of honor... This is a terrible murder of a person who protected interests of the state and opposed schemes used by some banks to legalize revenues of shadow and criminal business. Criminal groups that control those banks will stop at nothing." The Central Bank issued a statement applauding Kozlov for making a "huge contribution to the reform of the country's banking system, making it more effective, transparent and stable." Oleg V. Vyugin, Russia’s chief securities regulator, in a telephone interview, said, "It was criminals taking revenge for the legal actions of the central bank, and unfortunately Mr. Kozlov paid the price."
Trial
On October 28, 2008, a trial jury reached the verdict in the murder case. Banker Aleksei Frenkel, Liana Askerova and Boris Shafrai were found guilty of organizing Kozlov's murder, and Bogdan Pogorzhevsky, Aleksei Polovinkin, Maksim Proglyada and Aleksandr Belokopytov were found guilty of carrying it out. According to the prosecution, Frenkel organized the murder after his bank, VIP-Bank, lost its license on June 16, 2006 by Kozlov's decision (Kozlov accused the bank of money laundering). Frenkel asked his former co-worker, Askerova (who owned a restaurant at the time), to get him in touch with somebody who can kill Kozlov, and she found more intermediaries in Pogorzhevsky and Shafrai, who, in turn, found the shooters - Proglyada and Polovinkin. Frenkel paid $310,000 to Askerova, out of which $200,000 went to Pogorzhevsky, $90,000 to Askerova and only $20,000 to the shooters themselves. Another person involved, Andrei Kasmynin, was still not under arrest and was wanted by the police at the time of the trial. Based on the jury's verdict, the judge sentenced Frenkel to 19 years of imprisonment. Polovinkin received a life sentence, Proglyada - 24 years, Shafrai - 14 years, Askerova - 13 years, Belokopytov - 10 years, Pogorzhevsky - 6 years. The appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court of Russia on November 17, 2009. Proglyada's sentence was reduced to 22 years, all the other sentences were not changed. Kasmynin was eventually arrested and sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment on March 19, 2010.On May 18, 2010, the investigators issued an indictment against 58-year-old Sergei Levin, who was one of the jurors in the Frenkel trial. Allegedly he tried to bribe other jurors to rule Frenkel not guilty, because he did not agree with the manner in which the judge carried out the trial. The bribe offer came to light during the trial and he was removed from the jury before they reached the verdict. Levin admitted his guilt during the investigation.
See also
- Paul KlebnikovPaul KlebnikovPaul Klebnikov was a Russian-American journalist and historian of Russian history. He worked for Forbes Magazine for over 10 years and at the time of his death was Chief editor of the Russian edition. His murder in Moscow in 2004 was seen as a blow against investigative journalism in Russia...
- Vladislav ListyevVladislav Listyev-External links:* - IFEX*...
- Galina StarovoitovaGalina StarovoitovaGalina Vasilyevna Starovoitova was a Russian politician and ethnographer known for her work to protect ethnic minorities and promote democratic reforms in Russia.- Early life and academic career :...
- Valentin Tsvetkov
- Alexander Slesarev
External links
- Articles from around the world focusing on Andrei Kozlov.
- Moscow Times Digs Deeper on Diskont, Raiffeisen, and the Kozlov Murder
- A Pocket Bank and A Murder Mystery By Simon Shuster and Nikolaus von Twickel