Translated material
Window to Europe
Hot Estonian scandal
Window to Europe. Estonian authorities intend to sharply tighten the conditions for issuing a residence permit in the republic. Such measures are the result of a scandal that broke out in December last year, when it turned out that some Estonian politicians traded a residence permit for citizens of the CIS countries, in particular Russia. The New Times sorted out the details of the “hot Estonian business”
Double hypocrisy
The transmission of Estonian television “eyewitness” (Pealtnägija), who said that the deputies of Riygikogu (parliament) from IRL, Raem Raudna and Siim Cabrities and their same -party, deputy of the Tallinn City Council Nikolai Stelmakh for the “modest” reward of € 3500–4000 “helped” Russians with the execution of Russian citizens with execution with the execution of the scandal. a residence permit in Estonia. In the house belonging to Raudna and Stelmach in the historical part of Tallinn, the Old City, at 1/3 of Kooli, 147 citizens of Russia and other CIS countries were “registered”, which became shareholders of 78 companies registered at the same address. Almost all firms were fictitious and real economic activity, contrary to the main condition for obtaining a residence permit by their owners, they did not engage in. Many Estonians perceived the deputy “business” as “double hypocrisy”: after all, IRL is known for its hard anti -Russian rhetoric. 
The main defendants in the scandal are ex-deputies Indrect Raudna (right) and Nikolai Stelmakh
Without loopholes in any way
But how to get a residence permit in Estonia? The website of the Estonian Police Department indicates: “A foreigner who has a shared participation in a commercial association or who acts as an individual entrepreneur and who has enough funds can apply for a residence permit for entrepreneurship in Estonia. A commercial association or an individual entrepreneur must be registered in the commercial register of Estonia. Foreigners should invest in the Estonian economy, that is, in the activities of a commercial enterprise, at least € 63,900, and foreign individuals-entrepreneurs are at least € 15,950. The interest in obtaining a residence permit in Estonia sharply increased in 2008, after the country's entry into the Schengen zone: after all, the owner of a residence permit automatically received a visa-free movement of the Schengen space. Last year, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ken-Marty Wacher, at the request of the Minister of Economics, Yukhan Parts, increased the maximum number of residence permit for businessmen by 60, instead of the previously provided 110 there were 170 of them. Both ministers also belong to the IRL party.
“The simplicity of movement throughout the Schengen zone is a decisive factor for those who need the“ retreat paths, ”explains the parliament deputy Andres Anvelt. The “sale” of a residence permit in exchange for investments in the economy is a rather ordinary legislative measure for the European Union, however, the official execution of all documents takes a lot of time. Raudna and Stelmas, using loopholes in the law, “accelerated” the registration of foreign “investors” through their legal companies Advisory Partners and Integer Invest. There were many who wanted to use their services. Foreigners were either introduced into the board of Estonian companies through an increase in their share capital, or new companies were formed "under them". Naturally, the main argument of such transactions was the size of the wallet, and not the personality of the applicants. “Until now, control over these procedures in Estonia has been weak,” said Andres Anvelt, who had been heading the Estonian criminal police in the past.
Gold list
The Eesti EKSPRESS newspaper published a list of 147 “Golden Clients” by Raudna and Stelmakh, who received a residence permit with their mediation, indicating the amounts paid. Among them are the most famous names-ex-Vice-President of the Bank of Moscow Dmitry Akulinin, ex-head of the capital construction department of the Ministry of Railways of Sergey Novitsky, ex-head of the fishing fleet, sea fishing ports and the shipyard of state reservation Valery Suraev, head of NTP Inrybprom CJSC Eduardom Vasilieva, captain of the Russian hockey team Alexei Morozov, tennis players Anastasia Myskina and several criminal authorities. The meticulous Estonian journalists also excavated that the owners and heads of the former Bank “Structure” (now bearing the Bus “Modern Business Standards”): Alexei Strunilin, who was recently appointed director of the Swiss Falcon Private Bank for Eastern Europe and other former bankers, received a residence permit. 
The residence permit in Estonia received Russian criminal authorities Sergey Lalakin nicknamed Luchok (left upper picture, right) and Alexander Kharkovsky (upper right -wing picture), tennis player Anastasia Myskina and another 144 “gold client”
Among the criminal authorities, the media especially distinguish Sergei Lalakin, the leader of the Podolsk organized crime group, better known as Luchok, and Alexander Kharkov, known under the nickname Grebets, who was a member of the influential Vladivostok criminal group Sergey Baul. They wrote that in the company Advisory Partners, owned by Stelmach, a Timeless Capital division was formed, whose shareholder was Sergey Lalakin with his wife and children.
Jokk to help *
Journalists wondered: how, from an ethical point of view, does the ruling coalition consider such a “entrepreneurial activity” of its members? The popular Slogan Jokk (Juriidiliselt on Káik Korras) came to the aid of Estonian politicians - "everything is correct from the point of view of the law." Like, parliamentarians did not do anything illegal: yes, they are forbidden to occupy posts in government agencies, but commercial activities are not prohibited! So claims to them can be presented only in terms of ethics. The problem, however, is that the former members of the same Respublika party, which went to the parliamentary elections of the 2003 under the proud motto “We are incorruptible”, are trying to justify themselves with the slogan of Jokk. The voter tired of scandals and revelations was so delighted with them that the “incorruptible” easily went to parliament.
As a result of the scandal of Raudna and Stelmas, they were forced to leave the parliament and the Tallinn City Duma. But they did not admit their guilt, on the contrary, they assure that they were just engaged in “the management of business treasure and attracting investments to Estonia”, which, they say, go to the development of the country, from which pensions, benefits are paid and other social payments are made.
The ministers of Waher and Parts are still in their posts. At the same time, Wacher states that only “an independent expert commission with the participation of representatives of constitutional institutions” can give an assessment of his decision to increase the quota to issue a residence permit. In the meantime, the Anti -Corruption Commission Riigikogu nevertheless began a test of the economic interests of Cross and Raudna. 
The Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to amend the law, according to which "a registered enterprise should really work even before its managers receive the right to petition for a residence permit in Estonia." The Department of Police and Border Guards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed legislatively securing a more thorough verification of the applicants for a residence and demand the provision of a “certificate of punishment” and a certificate of income in the country of residence over the past six months. The issue of increasing requirements for the size of investments is also discussed - from € 63 thousand to € 100 thousand. Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs has already begun to verify all the residence permit issued to businessmen, and a separate service for working with foreigners - administrative production for 65 cases in which there was no reason to suspect that no commercial activities in the created firms were carried out. "
Among the criminal authorities who received a residence permit in Estonia are Sergey Lalakin, the leader of the Podolsk organized crime group, better known as Luchok, and Alexander Kharkov, known under the nickname, a rower, who was a member of the Vladivostok criminal group Sergey Baul
”However, the most severe consequences of the scandal promise to be for the leader of the IRL party, the famous Estonian historian Marta Laara. In February, he fell ill with a stroke, after which 60 members of the party immediately filed an application from it“ due to the lack of intra -party democracy. ”“ It is better to leave the party, than to look silently at the egoism of the ruling elite, ”said The New Times, the former deputy of the riegikogo, Kadri Yaatma, has become an instrument for holding power and creating a “sweet life” for a small group of people. ”
Yaanus Piirsalu took part in the preparation of the material (Tallinn)