Semion Mogilevich uses Raiffeisen Bank Austria to front Red Mafia Deals

Mafia controlled Austria is, according to Peter Pilz, the gateway for the Eastern European mafia to Western Europe.

AUSTRIA IS THE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN EASTERN EUROPEAN MAFIA AND THE WEST

"Österreich fungiere als "Türsteher" für die osteuropäische Mafia auf ihrem Weg nach Westeuropa". (Pilz: "Österreichische Politik hofiert Mafia-Paten", Die Presse, 23 Jun 2011)

WELL-PLACED SOURCE

"Peter Pilz (born 22 January 1954) is an Austrian politician (NOW - Pilz List)".  (Peter Pilz, Wikipedia)

THE FACE OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN MAFIA

Semion Mogilevich is an international businessman with interests in "arms dealing, drug running, uranium trafficking and multiple murders". (Nico Hines, Semyon Mogilevich, the 'East European mafia boss', captured in Moscow, The Sunday Times, 25 Jan 2008)

AMERICAN EMBASSY:  MOGILEVICH USES RAIFFEISEN AUSTRIA TO FRONT DEAL

"U.S.-indicted crime boss Semyon Mogilevich probably uses RZB and its subsidiary Raiffeisen Investment Holding AG Algeria (RIAG)

A FRONT FOR ORGANIZED CRIME

as a front to provide legitimacy to the gas company that we suspect he controls, RosUkrEnergo (RUE). RUE makes

DIRTY MONEY

direct payments of $360,000 annually to each of two RIAG executives in "consulting fees." We assess that the payments probably are bribes for RIAG to maintain the front for Mogilevich (ref D)." (American Embassy Vienna Austria, Secret Cable, 15 Feb 2006 published at Wikileaks, http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2006/02/06VIENNA515.html)   "Semion Mogilevich is wanted for his alleged participation in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of investors in the stock of a public company incorporated in Canada, but headquartered in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, between 1993 and 1998. The scheme to defraud collapsed in 1998, after thousands of investors lost in excess of 150 million U.S. dollars, and Mogilevich, thought to have allegedly funded and authorized the scheme, was indicted in April of 2003. " http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/semion-mogilevich

WHAT DRIVES THE BUSINESS

Raiffeisen is perfectly open about its motiviations:  "Everyone has desires".  (see tweet at left)

Semion needed some discretion and deniability, and the Raiffeisen leaders are always hungry for more fees, commissions, and, well, any form of paper will do.

And they got a lot of paper from Red Mafia boss Mogilevich, according to the American Embassy cable publicized by Wikileaks.

LEGITIMATE BANKS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE MAFIA

But Gernot Erne of Raiffeisen has a somewhat different philosophy.  (see tweet at right)  He refers to moral scruples as "excuses", 'cuz they prevent a dirty banker from "doing something" -- anything -- to make a buck.

Like everyone else, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has heard the "stories about mafia involvement" with Raiffeisen. (Dmitry Medvedev cited in Shaun Walker, Perhaps Out of Place, But Still in the Money, Russia Profile, 27 Apr 2006)(see the public faces of Raiffeisen at left, with Gernot Erne at center)

BUT FOR MEDVEDEV, CONTROL OF RAIFFEISEN IS A TOTAL MYSTERY

“If there are people behind Raiffeisen that you don’t know about, neither do we." "We have no idea who is behind Raiffeisen." (Dmitry Medvedev cited in Shaun Walker, Perhaps Out of Place, But Still in the Money, Russia Profile, 27 Apr 2006)

And for all the people out there who believe Raiffeisen is somehow legitimate, and they have no idea who's behind this enterprise, Gernot Erne and his team have a special message:  "if you're the stupidiest person in a room, you have done something right".  (see Raiffeisen tweet at right)


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