GOING FOR BROKE (1)….

In preparation for parliamentary elections in December and presidential elections next June, the Kremlin insiders grouped around Boris Berezovsky continue to move toward control of the sources of campaign finance and media exposure. Last week agents of the FSB and the tax police descended on the media properties belonging to Vladimir Gusinsky, the tycoon who controls MOST bank, NTV television, Ekho Moskvy radio, and the daily newspaper Segodnya. Gusinsky is considered close to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov–indeed his main offices are next to Luzhkov’s in Moscow’s city hall. The tax status of Gusinsky personally, and some of his top executives, is also said to be under investigation.