I understand that all of you are sick to death of news about Transneft. But I’ll still comment on the statement by one of the Audit Chamber people that they’re going to sue me.
*The Audit Chamber May Sue Navalny The reason could be the blogger’s publication of data from an audit of Transneft’s operations. This was stated today live on the Russian News Service radio station by Valery Goreglyad, deputy chairman of the Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation. ... The Audit Chamber itself calls A. Navalny’s figures “a clear exaggeration.” “The Audit Chamber does not confirm this blogger’s position,” V. Goreglyad said. “I do not fully understand the goals and purpose of his statement. Apparently, they lie in the realm of provocation or politics, the meaning of which I do not entirely grasp. But this is a clear exaggeration, meaning that many of the figures cited in the blog with reference to the Audit Chamber are not contained in the Audit Chamber’s report,” he said. At the same time, V. Goreglyad noted that the Audit Chamber had indeed uncovered “serious violations” in the implementation of the ESPO (Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean) pipeline project, with total damages amounting to 3.5 billion rubles. “And if the issue is that we are being accused of concealing some data which Navalny then revealed, then, in general, we may examine the question of defending the honor and dignity of our organization in court,” V. Goreglyad said. According to him, such a possibility is not ruled out, although no decision has yet been made on the matter. V. Goreglyad suggested that A. Navalny’s goal is precisely to force the Audit Chamber to sue him. This is being done, “to seriously draw attention to himself when a body such as the Audit Chamber enters into legal proceedings with some individual who, as far as I know, lives in the United States.” ***/////// I don’t know what exactly they think they’re going to file, or where. Judging by the Audit Chamber’s actual ability to act, the most Chamber-man Goreglyad is capable of is fiercely tugging at his mustache. That’s exactly why they keep talking a lot, while disclosing no documents and spinning some nonsense about “living in the United States.” That’s also why the wording is so vague: *we will study the issue, and if it turns out we imagined something, then we will give careful thought to maybe putting our minds to discussing it. *Meanwhile, I have good news on item 3 of the prosecution plan. YABLOKO party chairman Sergei Mitrokhin has sent appeals to the Investigative Committee, the Audit Chamber, and the Russian Interior Ministry in connection with embezzlement during Transneft’s construction of the Eastern oil pipeline (ESPO). The appeals are based on documents posted on the blog of former YABLOKO member Alexei Navalny. In a letter to Audit Chamber chairman Sergei Stepashin, the politician demands that the report and inspection act on the results of the audit of OAO Transneft be provided. “I believe there are no grounds for classifying these documents as for official use only. The report and inspection act must be provided in accordance with the law ‘On Ensuring Access to Information on the Activities of State Bodies and Local Self-Government Bodies.’ If you refuse, the documents will be requested through the courts,” the letter says. *In his appeal to Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin, the YABLOKO chairman asks whether the inspection act has been received by the agency, as required by law. If it has been received, the YABLOKO leader asks to be informed of the decision taken on this material. */////// So Chamber-man Goreglyad will have an opportunity to litigate, if that’s really what he wants. Mitrokhin is doing a good job. And we are continuing to collect reactions from political parties and organizations to the “Transneft case.” I’ll publish a special table soon.