WILL BANKER’S MURDERER BE CAUGHT?

Sergei Yegorov, the presidentof the Association of Russian Banks, told Moscow’s Mayak radioJuly 25 that he very much doubted the authorities would ever catchthe murderers of banker Oleg Kantor. Yegorov pointed out thatKantor was the 22nd banker to be killed in the last 18 monthsand that Kantor was killed in a well-guarded government recreationfacility. Yet another reason for such doubts is that responsibilityfor investigating Kantor’s case has been shifted from a localMoscow prosecutor to the Moscow city prosecutor’s office. In thepast, such shifts in investigatory responsibility have delayedthe cases and have allowed the guilty to escape responsibility.In general, Russian investigators now face enormous problems:Moscow’s Echo radio reported July 24 that authorities were facingdifficulties in the investigation of Duma deputy Sergei Skorochkinabecause they lacked the funds to pay for gasoline for their cars.

Illarionov: Central Bank Undermines Chance of Financial Stabilization.