VZCZCXYZ0018
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #4768 2711401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281401Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4219
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS MOSCOW 004768 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS 
TREASURY FOR MEYER, TORGERSON 
NSC FOR MCKIBBEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN STOCK FRAUD INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN MOSCOW 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
TDY Investigator from Dagestan Shot 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On September 26 around mid-day, Senior Special 
Investigator from the Dagestan Prosecutor General's Office, 
Nazim Kaziakhmedov, was shot in a Moscow restaurant where he 
was having lunch.  According to press accounts, Kaziakhmedov 
had been temporarily assigned to Russia's newly created 
Investigation Committee to lead a stock fraud investigation 
concerning the Finvest Group.  Kaziakhmedov is the second 
Russian official involved in an investigation of Finvest to 
be murdered.  Anatoly Trofimov, the Head of the Moscow 
Directorate of the Federal Security Service, was also killed 
while leading an investigation on Finvest in April 2005. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Finvest Group holds controlling ownership 
interests in several real estate development, construction, 
and transportation firms, according to National Credit Bureau 
data.  The Group's chief shareholders are Vladimir Slutsker 
of the Federation Council representing Chuvashiya and 
Ambartsum Safayan, former director of Rostek, a Russian 
customs brokerage.  In 2005, Slutsker wrote to law 
enforcement authorities that his partner, Safayan, had been 
embezzling money and should be investigated.  Earlier this 
year, the Basmanny Court issued a warrant for Safayan's 
arrest on fraud associated with Finvest and on charges of 
property damage.  Press reports state that Safayan's defense 
attorney has explained that since Safayan was in custody at 
the time of Kaziakhmedov's murder, he could not be a suspect 
in the case. 
 
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Comment 
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¶3.  (SBU) In an symbolic twist, Kaziakhmedov's murder 
occurred just two weeks after the first anniversary of the 
murder of Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Andrey Kozlov. 
Kozlov was widely believed to have been targeted for his 
increased influence in shutting down dirty banks and is the 
most prominent official to have been murdered for pursuing 
anti-corruption cases.  End Comment. 
Russell