Record 12 Billion Rubles in CASH Seized from Arrested FSB Officer

Being a colonel in Russia's FSB probably pays well, but not that well!
Corruption is Everywhere - Definitely in Russian Police Services

FILE PHOTO. ©  Global Look Press / Silas Stein

Some 12 billion rubles ($185 million) in cash has been reportedly seized from an FSB colonel facing charges of large scale corruption – overshadowing the notorious case of Colonel Zakharchenko and his record of 8.5 billion rubles.

The piles of cash – literally – were discovered at three apartments belonging to FSB Colonel Kirill Cherkalin and, allegedly, to his allies, Russian media reported on Friday, citing sources close to the investigation. Aside from cash, a whole collection of luxury wristwatches and other treasures were seized as well.

The funds were allegedly provided to the official and two of his accomplices by various banks and other businesses for “protection.”

“We believe these funds have been received for a general ‘patronage’ from representatives of several commercial firms, first of all from directors of banks,” a source told Rosbalt.

On Thursday, Colonel Cherkalin, who has served as the head of the FSB department on cyber security in the banking sphere, was charged with receiving a hefty bribe of $850 thousand (some 55 million rubles) from a commercial firm. Cherkalin and his two accomplices – both of them are retired FSB Colonels – were arrested earlier this year and remain in custody by court ruling.

Col. Cherkalin resisted arrest and wound up with a broken arm.

If confirmed, the sum of 12 billion rubles will mark the largest-ever amount of cash, seized from a corrupt official in Russia. Prior to this, the dubious ‘record’ was held by police colonel, Dmitry Zakharchenko.

While holding a senior anti-corruption post, Zakharchenko managed to amass a whopping 8.5 billion rubles (some $ 131.5 million) in cash, allegedly extorting bribes from various businessmen. The hearings on the Zakharchenko case continue, earlier this week a prosecutor asked the court to sentence the former law enforcer to 15 and a half years behind bars.

Politics is a Dirty Game in France Especially for Right-Wing Nationalists

The banks, the courts, parliament, the EU Parliament have for many years attempted to destroy Marine Le Pen. Is there some collusion? Is Deep State at work here? Whoever is behind the constant persecution does not have the best interests of France in mind.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation

Jonathon Gatehouse · CBC News 

Leader of France's far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment as it probes her posting of graphic images of Islamic State executions on social media. (Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images)

Le Pen probe

A French court has ordered far-right leader Marine Le Pen to undergo a psychiatric assessment as it probes her decision to publish graphic images of Islamic State executions on social media.

The 50-year-old head of the National Front — recently rebranded as the National Rally — posted three gruesome photos on Twitter in December 2015 after a journalist told a French television program that her party shared a "community of spirit" with the extremist group.

"ISIS is THIS," Le Pen wrote in an outraged response to the accusation, attaching pictures of a man being burned alive, another being run over by a tank, and the headless corpse of American journalist James Foley.

French law prohibits the dissemination of "violent messages that incite terrorism or … seriously harm human dignity."

Le Pen, a former member of the European Parliament, was only put under formal investigation in March after that body voted to strip her of immunity as part of an unrelated fraud investigation. If convicted, she faces up to three years in jail and a fine of €75,000.

Today, Le Pen reacted angrily to the court's assessment order, posting a photo of the legal papers on her Twitter account and calling the decision "crazy."

Later, speaking to reporters, she suggested that the evaluation is part of a wider attempt to silence her and the party, and said that she will skip the tests.

"I'd like to see how the judge would try and force me do it," Le Pen said.

Legal experts were quick to point out that such an assessment is in fact required under the law to establish whether she suffers from any mental illness that might have diminished her capacity to understand what she was doing when she posted the images. The psychiatrist will also determine whether she poses a risk to herself or the public.

It's pretty obvious she was angrily responding to an imbecilic media person and not trying to influence anyone to commit terrorism. A sane person would think just the opposite, that she is trying to reduce terrorism by revealing just how horrific it is. 

Nevertheless, I think she should take the psyche exam as long as it is not with a government or court-appointed psychiatrist, but one of impeccable character. I also think the interview should be recorded and reviewed by a panel of reputable psychiatrists, at Le Pen's discretion.

Other European populists were quick to leap to her defence.

"A court orders a psychiatric assessment for Marine Le Pen. Words fail me! Solidarity with her and with the French who love freedom!" said Matteo Salvini, Italy's interior minister and leader of the far-right League party, in a statement.

The National Front/Rally and its leader have suffered a number of setbacks since Emmanuel Macron resoundingly defeated Le Pen in the run-off election for France's presidency in 2017.

The campaign posters of French presidential election candidates Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron are seen in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, in April 2017. Macron resoundingly defeated Le Pen in the run-off election for France's presidency. (Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images)

French banks, which had denied her requests for campaign loans, closed her personal and party accounts last fall. Le Pen denounced the moves as political "persecution."

And she has been ordered to repay almost 300,000 euros ($455,000 Cdn) to the European Parliament after an internal investigation determined that she improperly used her office budget to pay aides to do non-parliamentary work for the National Front.

Le Pen, who maintains that she did nothing wrong, is appealing the findings and has refused to pay up. But the EU has been playing hardball, garnishing her salary and obtaining a temporary order from a French court to stop her party from receiving €2.35 million in state subsidies.

The EU parliament is far-left in ideology with many in the pocket of George Soros, and it will do all that it legally can (not morally can) to destroy Le Pen and her chances of becoming France's next President. Liberal loonies are also watching the EU lean more and more to the right and are desperate to stop the rush of sanity.

Liberals hate populism. They are quite sure that they know far better than ordinary people what those people want and need.

"The investigating judges are applying a death sentence by confiscating our public grant," she complained in July.

A final decision will handed down Sept. 26.

Le Pen has been busy trying to turn all those controversies to her advantage and whip up public sympathy.

"Our political adversaries want us to fail," she told a rally in the the northern town of Hénin-Beaumont earlier this month. "And when I hear the president of the Republic say that the National Rally is not a political opponent but an enemy, I can only conclude that he is doing everything within his power to break us down, to make us disappear from the country's political life."

And Le Pen is already campaigning for next spring's European elections, trying to form alliances with other far-right parties and tap into "The Movement," a new Steve Bannon-organized venture to raise funds and support for European populists.

Le Pen and former U.S. President Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon give a joint press conference during the National Rally's annual congress on March 10 in Lille, north of France. (Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)

The strategy may be working.

As Macron's popularity plummets amidst the scandal over his former bodyguard's physical assault of anti-government protesters, Le Pen's fortunes are rising.

A poll last month put the National Rally "coude à coude" with the president's En Marche party, both with 21 per cent support for the coming European vote.

ANZ, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup Face 'Cartel' Charges

Corruption is Everywhere - But in Australian and Global Banks?

By Sara Shayanian  

ANZ Bank, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup face criminal charges over alleged cooperation involving the sales of $2 billion worth of ANZ. shares. File Photo by Dan Himbrechts/EPA-EFE

UPI -- Three major financial institutions and several individuals face criminal charges in Australia of cooperating with each other in the sales of about $2 billion worth of stock shares, officials said.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced the charges against ANZ Bank, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup Friday.

"The charges will involve alleged cartel arrangements relating to trading in ANZ shares following an ANZ institutional share placement in August 2015," ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

"ANZ and the individuals were knowingly concerned in some or all of the conduct."

Cartel behavior occurs when businesses work together, instead of competing, to drive up profits.

ANZ denied it acted unlawfully in the sales of nearly 81 million shares worth $1.9 billion.

The deal was underwritten by Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase as part of a bid by ANZ to raise capital to meet regulatory requirements.

"We believe ANZ acted in accordance with the law in relation to the placement and on that basis the bank intends to defend both the company and our employee," ANZ Chief Risk Officer Kevin Corbally said.

ANZ said the proceedings relate to an arrangement made between lead managers over the supply of bank shares. It noted criminal proceedings will likely be brought against ANZ Group Treasurer Rick Moscati.

Citigroup and Deutsche Bank vowed to "vigorously defend" against the charges. ANZ said it would also fight the accusations against Moscati.

If found guilty, the companies could face maximum penalties of 10 percent of annual turnover, or three times the benefit gained from the crimes. Individuals could face up to 10 years in jail.

French Banks have ‘Good Reasons’ to Close Le Pen Party’s Accounts, Finance Minister Says

Corruption is Everywhere - even in French Banking

If there is something fishy with Le Front National's finances, then the banks need to expose that, otherwise it is they who appear corrupt and despicably so

© Ruptly

Two banks that have closed accounts belonging to the French National Front apparently had “good reasons” to take such actions, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire insisted after Marine Le Pen blasted the decision as a “banking fatwa.”

The president of the far-right party rebelled this week at a press conference against the decisions taken by Societe Generale and HSBC to end their banking relationship with the National Front, and its leader Le Pen. The National Front president has called the decisions a “banking fatwa” and an “attempted suffocation” of the opposition.

“We are cut off at present from our income. This decision puts the National Front in a position of serious difficulty and prevents the party from functioning normally,” Le Pen said after Societe Generale closed a number of National Front accounts in November, including her own.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Le Pen revealed that HSBC closed her account “without any justification,” only citing the “the lack of information on the origin of funds.” Outraged by the decisions, she urged French politicians, including President Emmanuel Macron, to stand up for the National Front.

In France, banks are allowed to decide to close accounts without giving a reason if they provide the account holders with advance notice. Commenting on their decision, both institutions said that the decisions to shut down accounts were purely financial and not political.

The issue has been taken up by Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Bank of France, who is due to announce a conclusion on the case on Monday, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Saturday, while defending the decisions taken by Societe Generale and HSBC.

“If Société Générale closes the accounts of the National Front, and also I point out that another bank closed the personal account of Marine Le Pen, it’s because it had good reasons to do so,” Le Maire told radio station France Inter. “I trust French banking institutions.”

“My duty as economy and finance minister is to verify that the law has been complied with,” Le Maire said. “I am convinced that the law has been complied with and that these banks had good reasons to take these decisions.”

Now you just need to convince the rest of us that you aren't part of a conspiracy of political and banking corruption to destroy a political rival. You are a long way from that so far.

This isn’t the first time that the National Front has faced financial burdens. During Le Pen’s presidential campaign earlier this year, French banks refused to grant her campaign loans, while the National Front has also been previously forced to borrow from banks outside France.

While the National Front awaited a decision from the Bank of France governor, dozens of party supporters staged a protest in front of Societe Generale’s office in Paris on Saturday. Flying national flags, and holding placards and banner that read, “For the moralization of the banks,” the crowd denounced the financial institution.

“This is absolutely unacceptable in a democracy, and we have no intention of giving in to the banking dictatorship… It is an attack on the democratic life of political parties,” National Front deputy Gilbert Collard said at the gathering. “If it would happen in Russia, we would scream at attacks on liberty for sure. This is happening in France, and everyone is indifferent.”

Jail Bankers Who Caused 2008 Financial Crisis, says ex-PM Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown has launched a scathing attack on bankers over the 2008 financial crisis

© Neil Hall / Reuters

Millionaire bankers responsible for the 2008 financial crisis should be stripped of their bonuses and sent to prison, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said. He warned bankers have not learnt a thing and are still playing fast and loose.

The former Labour leader, who was Tony Blair’s chancellor before replacing him as PM in 2007, has torn into wealthy bankers and revealed he was preparing to quit Downing Street when the banking crisis was at its height.

The ex-PM, toppled in 2010 when David Cameron formed a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, had called for tougher regulations at a special G20 summit in London. None have been implemented, however.

In an autobiography released next week – entitled My Life, Our Times – Brown says history will repeat itself if action is not taken.

“If bankers who act fraudulently are not put in jail with their bonuses returned, assets confiscated and banned from future practice, we will only give a green light to similar risk-laden behavior in new forms,” he writes.

“Little has changed since the promise in 2009 that we would bring finance to heel. The banks that were deemed ‘too big to fail’ are now even bigger than they were."

“Similarly... some regulators freely confess that risks have morphed and migrated out of the formal banking system and if the next crisis came they would still not know what is owed and by whom and to whom. 2009 has proved to be the turning point at which history failed to turn.”

The book details the time he, along with his chancellor Alistair Darling, arranged a rescue package for some UK banks.

In a revealing personal insight into the life of a prime minister, Brown writes about a time he instructed his family to pack their bags, convinced he would be forced to stand down if the rescue package failed and he had to quickly flee Downing Street.

At the time taxpayers’ money was invested in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), HBOS and Lloyds to save them from going under. Brown, 66, says foreign countries have been quick to prosecute bankers when they fail – but the UK has resisted.

Not sure which countries he's referring to, but it certainly isn't the USA. Canada had no bank failures because we have tough regulations governing our banks.

The former politician is especially scathing of Fred ‘the Shred’ Goodwin, the former chief executive of RBS, who Brown says drove the bank into the ground and gambled with the public’s cash while living a luxurious lifestyle.

He also attacks Barclays for what he says was a decision to seek a state bailout from Qatar and the UAE, while attacking rival banks who were helped by the public purse in Britain.

“In doing so, they [Barclays] made it far more difficult to explain to the British public that this was a widespread banking crisis and not just an emergency faced by one or two banks and, by not telling the full truth, they hampered our ability to persuade legislators around the world of the need for far-reaching reform.”

That was probably the idea all along.