On the redesigned homepage of the newspaper Vedomosti, I came across an article by Oleg Vyugin. Post-Crisis Development: The Fire Is Out, Time to Build I thought: I should read that later. Then I ran into an almost rapturous review of Vyugin’s article from ksonin: if I were writing an article for him, I would have written exactly this one. So what was I supposed to do? I went to read it. An excellent article. Very accurate throughout. As you read it, you just want to nod along and say, “Yes, yes, yes... absolutely right... that’s exactly how it is.” And by the end, after finishing it, you even feel like slapping your palm on the table and exclaiming: So why are we just sitting here?! It’s obvious what needs to be done! The wise Oleg Vyugin says many correct things. He talks about improving the efficiency of public administration. He says that it is not enough simply to generate ideas; they also have to be implemented. He talks about a mechanism for public assessment of the quality and effectiveness of state institutions. He talks about the important role of the media, provided they have enough freedom to present facts openly and sensibly. He talks about many other correct things. He talks. But I cannot bring myself to believe Oleg Vyugin. Because Oleg Vyugin combines all this talking with holding a post as one of the directors of Transneft OJSC (the state pipeline monopoly). It is this merry company that has spent, and continues to spend, hundreds of millions of dollars on “charity” projects whose traces no one can find.
A significant portion of those millions goes to the international charitable foundation Kremlin-9, created by security-service employees (what else would you call that if not a legal payment for protection). It is precisely at Transneft (100% of its ordinary shares are state-owned) that, in a time of crisis and against a backdrop of no real achievements whatsoever, salaries and bonuses have been rising very briskly. It is the Transneft team that stole and continues to steal billions during the construction of the ESPO pipeline (Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline). It is at Transneft that as much as 5 billion rubles can be siphoned off just on the pipeline’s design work. Transneft is, in essence, now an organized criminal group. And on its board of directors sits the delightful Oleg Vyugin, collecting his pay while knowing so many recipes for proper post-crisis development. When that same newspaper, Vedomosti, with its considerable ability to present facts freely, repeatedly published outraged articles about state “charity,” where was O. Vyugin? Where were his actions, or at least his comments? What did O. Vyugin—who advocates improving the efficiency of public administration—say when the Accounts Chamber (Russia’s state audit body) report on theft at Transneft was published? When I, as a Transneft shareholder, sent O. Vyugin a request to help sort out the looted money, O. Vyugin—who supposedly supports public assessment of quality and effectiveness—not only ignored the appeals, but in court fiercely defended his right to remain silent (three lawyers showed up!). To this day he has not replied to a single letter. He has not taken a single action. I am not claiming that Vyugin personally receives his share of the loot in gold dust and precious stones. But the fact that he nicely collects his salary while covering for crooks and thieves with his reputation—that is certain. Moral: Advice on post-crisis development from these people is about as useful as advice on loans-for-shares privatization from Soviet Komsomol members (the Communist youth organization). And since I know for certain that O. Vyugin will read this post, here is not just a moral, but also a piece of advice. Advice: Dear Mr. Vyugin, either put your pants on—have some conscience and resign from the Transneft board of directors—or take off your cross and stop your sanctimonious lecturing. P.S. Yes, and of course the article prompted me to send O. Vyugin yet another letter. With another call to publish the list of recipients of this “charitable” aid, along with various pieces of advice on the post-crisis development of Transneft OJSC, drawn from his own article. I will publish the reply. Stay tuned.