VZCZCXRO6217
RR RUEHLN
DE RUEHTL #1009 3171222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131222Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9231
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2453
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 1264

UNCLAS TALLINN 001009 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN KCRM PREL PGOV PHUM RS EN
SUBJECT:  MURDERED RUSSIAN CENTRAL BANKER'S VISIT TO 
ESTONIA 
 
 
¶1.  (U) In early October, Estonian investigative paper 
Eesti Ekspress published an article noting that recently- 
murdered Russian Central Bank Vice-President Andrei Kozlov 
visited Tallinn in June to meet with the Estonian Financial 
Supervision Authority (FSA).  According to the article, 
Kozlov verbally demand the closing of several bank accounts 
at Sampo Bank and Uhispank.  He claimed that the accounts 
were being used to launder large sums of Russian money 
destined for the West.  He alleged that the money 
represented proceeds from tax evasion and money-laundering 
schemes.  Kozlov only made oral accusations; he did not 
offer a written account.  Since the October Eesti Ekspress 
article was published, news regarding Kozlov's trip to 
Estonia has dropped out of the Estonian press. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) GOE officials tell us that they have not found 
any evidence of money laundering related to Kozlov's 
warning.  Andres Palumaa, financial auditor for the FSA, 
told Poleconoff that, despite Kozlov's warning, the FSA 
considers the accounts in question to be lawful and 
reflective of normal volumes and activity.  Palumaa 
stressed that investigations were ongoing.  While 
contending that there is the possibility that something 
illegal may be going on with the accounts at some level, 
Palumaa said there is currently no evidence of wrongdoing 
specifically tied to the Estonian accounts.  Palumaa 
speculated that the Estonian accounts could be one link in 
a long chain of international financial transactions.  As 
to why Kozlov issued his warning orally instead of in 
written correspondence, Palumaa stated that no Memorandum 
of Understanding (MOA) exists between Russia and Estonia 
concerning money laundering matters.  As such, there was no 
"official" method in place for Kozlov to give information 
to the FSA.  Palumaa said that after Kozlov's warning, the 
FSA followed up with their Russian counterparts in Moscow, 
but the Russians said that they had no information to 
substantiate Kozlov's accusations. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) According to MFA Russia Desk Officers Lauri 
Kuusing and Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, the MFA considers 
Kozlov's money-laundering warning a non-issue due to lack 
of proof.  However, Kuusing and Mardisalu-Kahar expressed 
concern about the contract-style killing.  They stressed 
that the murder of a public official on city streets 
underlines Russia's instability, specifically in the areas 
of human rights and democracy.  These issues, they stated, 
not Kozlov's unproven allegations concerning Estonian bank 
accounts, are Estonia's biggest worries about its neighbor. 
 
WOS