FEDERATION COUNCIL: LEADERSHIP STAFF IS CORRUPT.

A groupof Federation Council deputies have accused Council chairmanVladimir Shumeiko and his immediate staff of corruption, Pravda reported July 4. The deputies said that the staff, which nowhas "more privileges" than the communist bosses ofold, had spent over a billion rubles on travel abroad duringlast year, spending a total of 275 "work days" in the US alone. Meanwhile, Ogonek (no. 26) notes that manyof the deputies themselves have links to criminal groups, includingto the Russian mafia chieftain arrested recently in New York.The Russian mafia is expanding its international ties, Podmoskovskieizvestiya reported June 30. The paper said that Israeli authorities believe that $4 billion in illegal funds have movedfrom Russia to Israel, and that this money has allowed the Russianmafia to have a certain influence in the Israeli economy andgovernment.

West Expands Program to Keep Russian Nuclear Scientists atHome