{{Short description|Russian corruption scandal}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} The '''Three Whales Corruption Scandal''' is a major corruption scandal in [[Russia]] involving several furniture companies and federal [[Politics of Russia|government bodies]], which has unfolded since 2000.

==2000 smuggling investigation ==

Three Whales (Tri kita/Три кита) is a Moscow furniture shopping complex owned by Sergei Zuev. On August 13, 2000, [[State Customs Committee of Russia|Russian Customs]] inspectors suspended it and seized a furniture consignment supplied by the companies Bastion and Liga Mars, as they had allegedly smuggled 400 tons of furniture into Russia, while Zuev had evaded $5&nbsp;million of customs duty by falsifying the price and weight of the imported goods. On October 20, 2000, Captain Pavel Zaitsev filed a criminal case against Liga Mars, initiated on September 7 by the [[Moscow Oblast]] Directorate of Internal Affairs.<ref name="kommersant1">{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=704751 |title=Ъ-Газета – Кит и меч |date=September 14, 2006 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=анпхя пегмхй |url=http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-07-18/50286/ |title=Мю "Рпеу Йхрюу". Онянамхйх Йнппсожхнмепнб Он "Леаекэмнлс Декс" Он-Опефмелс Бепьюр Ясдэаш Кчдеи – Мнбше Хгбеярхъ |publisher=Newizv.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605020955/http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-07-18/50286/ |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

The [[State Customs Committee of Russia|customs]] inspectors found that the Three Whales shop was controlled by Yevgeny Zaostrovtsev, a former chief of now [[Federal Security Service|FSB]] Director [[Nikolai Patrushev]] and the father of FSB General [[Yury Zaostrovtsev]], who at that time was the Head of the Economic Security Department and a Deputy Director of FSB.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/krono.exe?4954 |title=Chronology of events - NUPI |accessdate=2007-02-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160618/http://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/krono.exe?4954 |archivedate=September 30, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2006">{{cite web|author=Иван Сас |url=http://www.ng.ru/politics/2006-06-15/1_trikita.html |title=Новые аресты по делу о контрабанде мебели в ТЦ 'Три кита' и 'Гранд' |publisher=Ng.ru |date=June 15, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

==Prosecutor General's Office reaction==

In November 2000, the [[Prosecutor General of Russia|Prosecutor General]]'s Office under [[Vladimir Ustinov]] halted the investigation and confiscated files related to the case. In December 2000 it charged Captain Pavel Zaitsev with abuse of office and claimed that he had conducted 12 searches without a prosecutor sanction and had illegally detained two suspects. On September 5, 2002, the [[Moscow City Court]] found Zaitsev not guilty on the charges. Later the [[Supreme Court of the Russian Federation]] canceled this decision, and on November 3, 2003 Pavel Zaitsev was sentenced by a Moscow court to two years of probation.<ref name="kommersant1"/><ref name="rferl2006">{{cite web |url=http://rfe.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/33cc2719-2ad5-4a45-a326-72828b9baf64.html |title=Russia: Corruption Scandal Could Shake Kremlin - RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY |accessdate=2007-09-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930043850/http://rfe.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/33cc2719-2ad5-4a45-a326-72828b9baf64.html |archivedate=September 30, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Александр Андрущенко |url=http://www.ng.ru/politics/2006-06-21/4_trikita.html |title="Три кита" смутили главу ВС |publisher=Ng.ru |date=June 21, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref> [[Olga Kudeshkina]], a judge who took part in the trial, said on December 1, 2003 that she was pressured to convict him, but refused to do so. In 2004, Kudeshkina lost her job.<ref name="kommersant2">{{cite web |url=http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=682324 |title=Acting Prosecutor General Comes In Handy for Furniture – Kommersant Moscow |publisher=Kommersant.com |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716231628/http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=682324 |archivedate=July 16, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?DocID=709466&IssueId=30215 |title=Ъ-Газета – Совет судей Москвы пошел в Страсбург |date=October 3, 2006 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=670421 |title=Ъ-Газета – Мантия преследования |date=April 28, 2006 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

On May 7, 2001, First Deputy Prosecutor General [[Yury Biryukov]] signed a directive stopping the smuggling investigation, citing a lack of evidence.<ref name="rferl2006"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/45n/n45n-s00.shtml |title=Гнутые Спинки |access-date=February 4, 2007 |archive-date=October 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022160256/http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/45n/n45n-s00.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In Autumn 2001, the Prosecutor General's Office also accused Chief of the Customs Investigation Directorate [[Marat Fayzulin]] and Chief of the Customs Inspection Alexander Volkov with abuse of office and extortion of money from Sergei Zuev and an associate.<ref>http://news.kommersant.ru/index-news.html?ext=news&id=27438&id_themes=11&page=1 {{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref> On June 4, 2003, Fayzulin and Volkov were acquitted by a Moscow court.<ref name="kommersant1"/><ref name="rferl2006"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Фото: Василия Шапошникова |url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=387025 |title=Ъ-Газета – Таможня устояла на "Трех китах" |date = June 5, 2003|publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/russia/2003/06/04/gtk/ |title=Б Пняяхх: Ясд Нопюбдюк Янрпсдмхйнб Црй, Опнундхбьху Он Декс "Рпеу Йхрнб" |publisher=Lenta.ru |date=March 21, 2002 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

On October 15, 2001, at a press conference, the State Customs Committee claimed that it had discovered a smuggling network organized by Sergei Zuev. Customs officially charged him with customs duty evasion.<ref name="kommersant1"/>

This situation as a whole was widely considered an episode of the struggle between [[Boris Yeltsin]]'s "Family", represented by the State Customs Committee chairman [[Mikhail Vanin]], a close ally of [[Alexander Voloshin]] and [[Roman Abramovich]], and security services personnel, known as ''[[silovik]]i''. Vanin apparently lost the battle, as he left his position during the government reshuffle initiated in March 2004 by [[Vladimir Putin]], when the Customs Committee was incorporated into the [[Economy Ministry of Russia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=527&id=673129 |title=Customs Policy – Kommersant Moscow |publisher=Kommersant.com |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206203927/http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=527&id=673129 |archivedate=February 6, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="sptimes1">{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=18047 |title=The St. Petersburg Times &#124; The leading English-language newspaper in St. Petersburg – New Siloviki Customs |publisher=Sptimes.ru |date=June 27, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

==Parliamentary commission==

Two deputies of the [[State Duma]] and members of the State Duma Security Committee, [[Yury Shchekochikhin]], a journalist, and [[Alexander Gurov (politician)|Alexander Gurov]], Lieutenant General of Interior Affairs, launched a parliamentary inquiry into the case which was approved by the State Duma on March 13, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.duma.gov.ru/search/kmpage/80200016/arc3/post/1.html |title=Комитет Государственной Думы по безопасности |access-date=February 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041124081152/http://www.duma.gov.ru/search/kmpage/80200016/arc3/post/1.html |archive-date=November 24, 2004 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polit.ru/news/2002/02/14/569468.html |title=ПОЛИТ.РУ: Глава думского комитета по безопасности предлагает передать Совету безопасности контроль над всей правоохранительной системой |publisher=Polit.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Сергей Петров |url=http://www.ng.ru/regions/2002-03-15/4_absurdity.html |title=Таможня должна заняться прокуратурой! |publisher=Ng.ru |date=March 15, 2002 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rg.ru/Anons/arc_2002/0320/1.shtm |title=Три кита на одного Зайцева |publisher=Rg.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.duma.gov.ru/search/kmpage/80200016/arc3/news/42.html |title=Комитет Государственной Думы по безопасности |access-date=February 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041124081136/http://www.duma.gov.ru/search/kmpage/80200016/arc3/news/42.html |archive-date=November 24, 2004 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Prosecutor General's Office rejected all the accusations of corruption, claiming that the investigation had been closed for legitimate reasons. In April 2002 Shchekochikhin, Gurov, and [[Nikolay Kovalyov (politician)|Nikolay Kovalyov]], another State Duma deputy and a former FSB head, asked Vladimir Putin to intervene. Eventually the inquiry forced the Prosecutor General's Office to resume investigation of the smuggling. A prosecutor from [[Leningrad Oblast]], [[Vladimir Loskutov]], was chosen by President [[Vladimir Putin]] personally to lead the investigation of the affair.<ref name="kommersant1"/><ref name="rferl2006"/>

Earlier that year, on February 18, 2002, Shchekochikhin had published a detailed article in [[Novaya Gazeta]] on the smuggling affair and corruption in the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor General's Office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2002.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2002/12n/n12n-s07.shtml |accessdate=February 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215000130/http://2002.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2002/12n/n12n-s07.shtml |archivedate=December 15, 2005 |title=Ордероносцы }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.duma.gov.ru/csecure/arc3/public/48.html |title=Комитет Государственной Думы по безопасности |website=www.duma.gov.ru |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040720185300/http://www.duma.gov.ru/csecure/arc3/public/48.html |archive-date=20 July 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Immediately after this he received a death threat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/reports/rpw/2003/07/28-160703.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930061421/http://www.rferl.org/reports/rpw/2003/07/28-160703.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |title=Russia Report: July 16, 2003 |publisher=Rferl.org |date=July 16, 2003 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/6089.htm |title=JRL #6089 – Foreign Languages, Homeless Kids, Nuclear Materials, Novaya Gazeta, Khakamada, TV6, Felgenhauer, Yanov, Anthem, Potanin, Economic Stats, Afghanistan, Iran, Legal Reform, ORT Review |publisher=Cdi.org |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628193719/http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/6089.htm |archivedate=June 28, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=25&issue_id=2201&article_id=19181 |accessdate=February 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017111332/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=25&issue_id=2201&article_id=19181 |archivedate=October 17, 2006 |title=The Jamestown Foundation }}</ref> On June 2, 2003, he published another article in that newspaper in which he accused the Prosecutor General's Office and Biryukov personally of corruption:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2003.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2003/39n/n39n-s00.shtml |accessdate=February 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202004652/http://2003.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2003/39n/n39n-s00.shtml |archivedate=February 2, 2007 |title=Дело О «Трех Китах» }}</ref>

==Possible victims==

Several individuals involved in investigating the Three Whales case have suffered threats and assaults or died under suspicious circumstances.

Mr. Vorobiov, Head of Central Operative Customs, who initiated Criminal Case 27400-22/2000 after finding out about the fictitious Liga Mars company, was assaulted in February 2002.<ref name="backs" />

A logistics manager for the Grand and Three Whales stores, Mr. Polyakov, was attacked two weeks later.<ref name="backs" />

One day later, an investigator for the [[Federal Customs Service of Russia|Russian Customs Committee]], captain Yuhimenko, received a head trauma.<ref name="backs" /> On the same day, the car of Moscow region's [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia)|Interior Ministry]] investigator, Ms. Nenahova, was bombed. Ms. Nenahova worked on Case 12707 against Liga Mars employees.<ref name="backs" /> Investigator Pavel Zaitsev and his family received numerous threats throughout the year.<ref name="backs" />

On May 27, 2003, [[Mikhail Pereverzev]], the president of the Furniture Importers Association and a key witness in the affair, was shot dead in a hospital.<ref name="pereverzev">[http://www.vremya.ru/2003/96/4/71669.html Кровь на гарнитуре], Valery Chalikov, Victor Paukov, Yekaterina Sashenko, [[Vremya Novostey]], May 29, 2003</ref>

On July 3, 2003, [[Yury Shchekochikhin]] died a few days after he had been hospitalized, according to Russian officials, from a suddenly developed [[allergy]] of unknown origin. His relatives were denied an official medical report about the cause of his illness, and were forbidden from taking specimens of his tissue to conduct an independent medical investigation. The possibility that he was poisoned has been widely considered.<ref name="victims">[https://www.rferl.org/a/1071621.html Russia: Corruption Scandal Could Shake Kremlin], Victor Yasmann, [[Radio Liberty]], September 26, 2006</ref> Shchekochikhin's colleague in the [[Russian Duma|Duma]], Aleksandr Gurov, was never asked to witness, according to Novaya Gazeta's chief editor Dmitry Muratov.<ref name="undisclosed">[http://grani.ru/Society/Media/m.153254.html Незакрытая смерть], interviews with Dmitry Muratov, Valeria Novodvorskaya, Andrey Soldatov, Svetlana Sorokina, Aleksey Simonov, [[Grani.ru]], July 3, 2009</ref>

Also in 2003, [[Andrey Saenko]], another key witness, was severely injured in an assassination attempt.<ref name="backs">[http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/45n/n45n-s00.shtml ГНУТЫЕ СПИНКИ: В деле «Трех китов» и «Гранда» замешано больше персон, чем арестовано] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022160256/http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/45n/n45n-s00.shtml |date=October 22, 2017 }}, Roman Shleinov, [[Novaya Gazeta]], № 45, June 19, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-07-18/50286/ На «трёх китах»] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527125407/http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-07-18/50286/ |date=May 27, 2007 }}, Boris Reznik, [[Novye Izvestiya]], July 18, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.polit.ru/news/2003/05/28/618688.html ТВС: убит основной свидетель по делу «трех китов»], [[TVS (Russia)|TVS]], May 28, 2003</ref>

Customs investigators Mikhail Vanin and Colonel General Boris Gutin lost their jobs in 2004.<ref name="victims"/>

==2006 arrests and government bodies reshuffle==

The dismissal in May 2006 of [[Alexander Zherikhov]], head of the Federal Custom Service, as well as some other FSB, [[MVD|Interior Ministry]] and Prosecutor General's Office officials, is linked by many to the Three Whales scandal.<ref name="kommersant1"/> On June 2, 2006, [[Prosecutor General of Russia]] [[Vladimir Ustinov]], who had been in the office since 1999, resigned and became [[Justice Minister of Russia]] later that month. A major corruption scandal has unfolded unexpectedly and almost out of public sight. On June 14 Prosecutor General's Office under acting Prosecutor General [[Yury Chaika]] reported that it had reopened the furniture contraband investigation going back to 2000 and arrested [[Sergey Zuev (businessman)|Sergey Zuev]], owner of the Three Whales and Grand furniture retail centers, [[Andrey Latushkin]], Director General of the parent company Alliance-96, [[Andrey Saenko]] and two smugglers, [[Pavel Podsotsky]] and his wife [[Irina Podsotskaya]], Moscow representatives of a [[Latvia]]n firm, were arrested for smuggling and custom duty evasion.<ref name="autogenerated2006"/><ref name="kommersant2"/><ref>http://www.kommersant.ru/k-vlast/get_page.asp?page_id=20062426-6.HTM{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rg.ru/2006/06/15/kontrabanda-mebelj.html |title=Юпеярнбюмш Онднгпебюелше Б Йнмрпюаюмде Леаекх Дкъ Рж "Цпюмд" Х "Рпх Йхрю" – Бкюдхлхп Тедняемйн – "Йпхлхмюкэмюъ Леаекэ" – Пняяхияйюъ Цюгерю – Б Япедс Ясд, Он Ундюрюиярбс Цемопнйспюрспш, Бшдюк Яюмйжхч Мю Юпеяр Оърепшу Онднгпебюелшу Б Йнмрпюаюмде Леаекх Дкъ Рнпцнбшу Жемрпнб "Цпюмд" Х "Рпх Йхрю". Опедярюбхрекэ Опнйспюрспш Онъямхк, Врн Дкхрекэмше Япнйх Пюяякеднбюмхъ Сцнкнбмнцн Декю Н Йнмрпюаюмдмшу Онярюбйюу Леаекх Ашкх Ябъгюмш Я Онйпнбхрекэярбнл Онднгпебюелшу Днкфмнярмшлх Кхжюлх Б Опюбннупюмхрекэмшу Нпцюмюу, Б Оепбсч Нвепедэ Б Рюлнфеммнл Йнлхрере. Он Ецн Якнбюл, Б Унде Пюяякеднбюмхъ Декю Ашкх Мендмнйпюрмше Оношрйх Ондйсою Якеднбюрекъ |publisher=Rg.ru |date=June 15, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref name="sptimes1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2006/06/14/three/ |title=Б Пняяхх: Юпеярнбюм Псйнбндхрекэ Рнпцнбшу Жемрпнб "Цпюмд" Х "Рпх Йхрю" |publisher=Lenta.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mn.ru/print.php?2006-22-46 |title=Московские новости |publisher=Mn.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610005925/http://www.mn.ru/print.php?2006-22-46 |archivedate=June 10, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vesti7.ru/news?id=8784 |title=Беярх Медекх : "Рпх Йхрю" Бмнбэ Бяокшбючр |publisher=Vesti7.ru |date=June 18, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120914102459/http://www.vesti7.ru/news?id=8784 |archivedate=September 14, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://genproc.gov.ru/ru/news/index.shtml?id=4064 |accessdate=February 4, 2007 |title=Генеральная прокуратура Российской Федерации - Генеральная прокуратура Российской Федерации }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Длхрпхи Рнлхкнб |url=http://www.lenta.ru/articles/2006/06/15/three/ |title=Б Пняяхх: "Сапюкх Рнплнгю Х Мюфюкх Мю Цюг" |publisher=Lenta.ru |date=June 15, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref> Later Yekaterina Leladze, Anatoly Melnichuk, founder of Liga Mars, Valery Belyakov and Pavel Polyakov (by default) were also charged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?DocID=734017&IssueId=36175 |title=Ъ-Газета – "Три кита" зашились в собственном деле |date=January 15, 2007 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=712676 |title=Ъ-Газета – По делу "Трех китов" созрело преступное сообщество |date=October 12, 2006 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lenta.ru/news/2006/10/12/whale/ |title=Опеярсомнярэ: Б Деке "Рпеу Йхрнб" Онъбхкхяэ Рпне Мнбшу Набхмъелшу |publisher=Lenta.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref> The businesspeople were charged with grand [[smuggling]] by an organized group, exceptionally grand custom duty evasion and grand legalization of smuggled goods by an organized group (art.188 part 4, art. 194 part 2, art. 174 part 3 of the [[Russian Criminal Code]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kommersant.ru/index-news.html?ext=news&id=107873 |title=Ъ-Новости – Уганда получила партию российских истребителей Су-30МК2 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119090731/http://www.kommersant.ru/index-news.html?ext=news&id=107873 |archivedate=January 19, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2006/07/19/kit/ |title=Опеярсомнярэ: Лняцнпясд Нярюбхк Бкюдекэжю "Рпеу Йхрнб" Онд Ярпюфеи |publisher=Lenta.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=728008 |title=Ъ-Газета – Контекст |date=December 6, 2006 |publisher=Kommersant.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2006/12/05/whales/ |title=Опеярсомнярэ: Тхцспюмрюл Декю "Рпеу Йхрнб" Опедзъбър Мнбше Набхмемхъ |publisher=Lenta.ru |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rg.ru/2006/09/25/chaika-kity.html |title=дЕКН "рПЕУ ЙХРНБ" АКХГХРЯЪ Й ПЮГБЪГЙЕ – юМДПЕИ ьЮПНБ – ""рПХ ЙХРЮ" АКХГЙХ Й ТХМХЬС" – пНЯЯХИЯЙЮЪ цЮГЕРЮ – "сФЕ Б ДЕЙЮАПЕ АСДЕР ГЮБЕПЬЕМ ЯЮЛШИ ЦПНЛЙХИ ОПНЖЕЯЯ Н ЙНМРПЮАЮМДЕ – ДЕКН "рПЕУ ЙХРНБ", – ГЮЪБХК ЦЕМЕПЮКЭМШИ ОПНЙСПНП чПХИ вЮИЙЮ. оН ЕЦН ЯКНБЮЛ, Б МЮЯРНЪЫЕЕ БПЕЛЪ ОН ДЕКС ОПНУНДЪР ДЕБЪРЭ ВЕКНБЕЙ, БНЯЕЛЭ ХГ МХУ ЮПЕЯРНБЮМШ. бЯЕ НМХ НАБХМЪЧРЯЪ Б ЙНМРПЮАЮМДМШУ ОНЯРЮБЙЮУ ЛЕАЕКХ Б РНПЦНБШЕ ЖЕМРПШ "цПЮМД" Х "рПХ ЙХРЮ" МЮ НАЫСЧ ЯСЛЛС 52 ЛХККХНМЮ ПСАКЕИ |publisher=Rg.ru |date=September 25, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref>

On June 15, in Shanghai, President [[Vladimir Putin]] told journalists that he had asked Vladimir Loskutov, a prosecutor from [[Leningrad Oblast]] and a former classmate of his, to take on the case, as the President couldn't trust the Moscow offices of law-enforcement agencies.<ref name="rferl2006"/>

On July 7 First deputy Prosecutor General Yury Buiryukov resigned. On September 13, 2006, the Prosecutor General's Office under [[Yury Chaika]] announced that it had attained the dismissals of 19 unnamed high-rank state employees involved in the furniture smuggling cases as well as illegal imports of consumer goods from China, although unlike employees of furniture companies, no official has ever been charged with this. Mass media revealed that the officials dismissed around that time had worked in the Moscow and federal offices of [[Federal Security Service|FSB]],<ref name="list1">Colonel General [[Sergei Shishin]], former Head of the Internal Security Directorate of FSB and current Head of the FSB Activities Support Directorate, Colonel General [[Vladimir Anisimov]], former Head of the Internal Security Directorate of FSB, Lieutenant General [[Alexander Kupryazhkin]], current head of the Internal Security Directorate</ref> [[Prosecutor General of Russia|Prosecutor General]]'s Office,<ref name="list2">Prosecutors [[Dmitry Shokhin]] and [[Kamil Kashaev]] who had prosecuted [[YUKOS]], head of the department for Investigations of Top Importance Cases [[Vladimir Lyseiko]], oversight directorates heads [[Alexander Kizlyk]] and [[Vladimir Titov (prosecutor)|Vladimir Titov]]</ref> Moscow Regional Prosecutor's Office, Federal Customs Service and [[Russian presidential administration|Presidential Executive Office]]. Deputy heads of the FSB Internal Security Department also figured in the report authored by [[Viktor Cherkesov]]. The purge has occurred while FSB head [[Nikolai Patrushev]] was on vacations.<ref name="rferl2006"/><ref name="kommersant3">{{cite web |url=http://www.kommersant.com/p706081/r_500/Property_Fund_s_Confistated_Goods_Dealer_Fired/ |title=Property Fund's Confistated Goods Dealer Fired – Kommersant Moscow |publisher=Kommersant.com |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206203947/http://www.kommersant.com/p706081/r_500/Property_Fund_s_Confistated_Goods_Dealer_Fired/ |archivedate=February 6, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kommersant.com/p704751/r_1/Mass_Dismissals_at_the_FSB/ |title=Mass Dismissals at the FSB – Kommersant Moscow |publisher=Kommersant.com |accessdate=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512001828/http://www.kommersant.com/p704751/r_1/Mass_Dismissals_at_the_FSB/ |archivedate=May 12, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=706135 |title=Ъ-Газета – Прокуроры ЮКОСа остались без работы |publisher=Kommersant.ru |date=September 20, 2006 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ольга Крыштановская |url=http://grani.ru/Politics/Russia/President/m.114307.html |title=Грани.Ру // Политика / Россия / Спецслужбы / Уволенные указом Путина генералы ФСБ продолжают работать |publisher=Grani.ru |date=January 23, 2002 |accessdate=October 18, 2011}}</ref> Vladimir Vdovin, Deputy Chairman of the [[Russian Federal Property Fund]], has also resigned after 12 years in office on September 19, 2006, officially because of a change of job, but it was rumored that his dismissal was linked to the Three Whales case.<ref name="kommersant3"/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070204044154/http://www.grandfs.ru/grand/ Grand Official Site] * [http://www.3kita.ru/ Three Whales Official Site]

[[Category:Political scandals in Russia]] [[Category:Corruption in Russia]] [[Category:Smuggling]] [[Category:2006 in Russia]] [[Category:Trials in Russia]]