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BLACK ROBES
The fight over the seat of Primorye arbitration court chairman is going on: Tatiana Loktionova, removed from this position by the Higher Judicial Qualification Collegium, submitted on June 22 an appeal to the Judicial Council of Russian Federation.
Before the above session of the Qualification Collegium, the arbitration court of Primorsky Krai was visited by a commission from this higher judicial body. The commissioners received records of eavesdropped telephone conversations by Loktionova and her family members. Loktionova complains that the krai's Interior Office applied to the court for permission to eavesdrop her talks only after these records had been passed to the commission. She terms these records as falsification and the application for court's permission for eavesdropping as an attempt to legalize this falsification.
On the eve of the above session, which took place on June 20, a large group of Primorye representatives arrived in Moscow with accusations against the chairperson of the krai's arbitration court. Among others this group included first vice governors Konstantin Tolstoshein and Gennady Tokulenko as well as Adam Imadayev. The Moscow regional anti-organized crime office tried to detain the latter just before the session, but Konstantin Tolstoshein and chairman of the Qualification Collegium A. Zherebtsov defended him. The building was encircled on that day by riflemen, allegedly, to protect witnesses. It should be reminded that on June 17 a car with two witnesses representing Vostoktransflot was attacked by gunmen on the highway between Primorye capital and Slavyanka. According to some sources, these witnesses were going to Slavyanka for documents proving Loktionova's fault.
Nobody was invited to the session from Loktionova's side, except herself. Even her counselor was not admitted.
By words of Konstantin Tolstoshein, "the session was going on for 6.5 hours. After overwhelming facts and stunning figures, for instance, on bribes amounting to $200,000 and more, were made public, the Higher Judicial Qualification Collegium ruled to halt the powers of Tatiana Loktionova for deeds unworthy of a judge and disgracing the judicial power as a whole and to deprive her of judicial rank.
Says one of main accusers Adam Imadayev: "Nobody at the session put the question: what losses did the family of Loktionovs inflict to Primorye economy. By my estimations, at least $1.6 billion".
Another complaint was submitted by Loktionova concerning unlawful, in her opinion, actions by the Qualification Collegium chairman A. Zherebtsov. In case files, there is a certain appeal by Vostoktransflot seamen to State Duma deputies concerning informal relationships between Primorye Governor and Zherebtsov. Deputies, in turn, passed these letters to the Federal Security Service. In addition, Loktionova's counsellors allegedly received shortly before the Collegium's session a copy of a payment order to one of foreign banks for $150,000 in the name of A. Zherebtsov.
By latest data from the krai administration, the vacant chair may be offered to Igor Buivol, currently head of the Legal Department of the administration of Primorsky Krai. - Oleg KLIMENKO.
MEETING OF LOSERS
One of leaders of the krai's Union of Rightist Forces Yevgeny Korovin named the constituent conference of the regional branch of the party as "the meeting of losers".
The conference was held on June 21 and was a logical continuation of the constituent conference in Moscow, which had decided to set up a united party of the right wing. Korovin's words related to the victory of a pro-gubernatorial candidate in the recent mayoral elections in Vladivostok.
"Our weak point is that we cannot unite ourselves in the right moment", said one of mayoral ex-candidates Sergei Grats who attended the conference as a guest. "Same thing happened in the gubernatorial and mayoral elections. If somebody had presented me data showing that there is a candidate with a higher rating, I would have removed my candidature in his favor".
Specially invited to this conference Cherepkov, Dudnik, Loktionov (spouse of the scandalously known judge Loktionova), Kirilichev did not attend this event. It seems that the organized opposition in Primorye has dissipated. This may be bad for the executive power, which can lose equilibrium without a counterbalance. However, some observers believe that the opposition has just taken a time-out. - Igor NIKITIN.
NEW BANK COMES TO PRIMORYE
The Baltic Bank of Development (Kaliningrad) will open a branch in Vladivostok soon.
"ZR" FILE: By data of independent analytical agency "Inter-Ray", BBD ranks among Russia's 300 top banks in internal funds, is third-largest in Kaliningrad Oblast and referred to the first reliability category. In July 1999 it received a license for transactions with foreign currency. The board of directors made a decision to open a branch in Vladivostok at the end of 1999. - Larisa LARINA.
CLOSER TO CLIENTS
The bank "Primorye" will open soon a remote terminal and its brokers will become able to work in stock and securities markets directly from the bank. Previously, they could do it only from the Asia-Pacific Inter-bank Currency Exchange.
According to "Primorye" press service, the new terminal will allow bank provide additional services to clients, for example, monitoring of trading sessions. Clients will be able to react to the situation themselves and give orders to the bank's broker. - Larisa LARINA.
PRIMORRYBPROM: THIRD RESTRUCTURING?
Oleg Ten was re-elected Primorrybprom director general for the next three years.
Another candidate Eduard Vasilyev withdrew before the voting. In all, 67.91% of shareholders cast their ballots, of who 44.04% were absent.
"ZR" FILE: Charter capital - 212.14 mln rubles. Par value of one share - 4 kopecks. Major shareholders: Zakharenko, Brekhov (both are nominal holders), NPO Primaquaprom, Priminvest. Small shareholders (300-1500 shares) own some 10%.
PRP finished the past year at 33.92 mln rubles in the red. A small profit was earned only by the procurement base "Primorrybsnab" - 826,000 rubles. Other affiliated companies (five fish processing plants and a wooden barrel making facility) finished the year with losses. At the same time, the book value of net assets grew by 37.73 mln rubles and reached 47.71 mln rubles.
PRP debts as of Jan. 1, 2000: to federal budget - 17.84 mln rubles, territorial funds - 6.97 mln, local budget - 13.23 mln, pension fund - 20.21 mln, social insurance fund - 1.46 mln, medical insurance fund - 2.73 mln, employment fund - 1.63 mln. Payables and receivables totaled 12.15 mln and 65.65 mln rubles.
Removal of the krai arbitration court chairperson Tatiana Loktionova may turn out to PRP's favor. "Everybody knows that PRP had been made bankrupt deliberately. The company was able to clear off claimed debts, but the arbitration court did not allow do that", says Oleg Ten.
At the same time, says Ten, although PRP is in a difficult position, it continues attracting attention of some circles. In fact, the company may face a third restructuring of its property through renewed attempts to make it bankrupt initiated by some krai-level officials. Ten intends to submit a special report to Primorye Governor.
The principal problem of PRP, formerly a fishing giant of Primorye, is the lack of catching fleet. Today, it operates only 13 MRS small-size catchers, half of which is under repair. By Ten's words, he is in the process of talks with S.Korean businessmen concerning 30 inshore catchers currently laid up in Korea. Each vessel is valued at about $200,000, and Ten is ready to give 10% of PRP shares as security for 5-year lease of these catchers.
Search for potential investors brings no success so far. The majority of them are interested, above all, in fish quotas, but Primorrybprom cannot obtain quotas without in-company catching fleet. - Oleg KLIMENKO.
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR "ASKOLD"
Askold plant has delivered since year's beginning 4 million rubles worth of farm machinery to Primorye and eastern Russian regions.
Product range includes precision sowers, ridgers and vertical cultivators (dominators). Today, its portfolio contains orders valued at a total of 2 mln rubles, including rotor fodder choppers and 12-meter pesticide sprayers.
Askold is also a potential partner in Sakhalin offshore projects, according to a conclusion made by U.S. expert Norman Standish. Upon familiarizing himself with Askold facilities, he noted that the plant may have a competitive edge in fabrication of structural steel for drilling rigs. - Yury ROGOV.
LITTLE SALMON IN PRIMORYE
The center of salmon fishery in this season will be West Kamchatka.
By words of TINRO-Center chief researcher Vyacheslav Shuntov, official forecasts for salmon season keep growing. KamchatNIRO raised their estimated figure of salmon stock approach to 70,000 tons up from 30,000 tons. According to Prof. Shuntov, this prediction may be increased to 100,000 tons.
Second-largest salmon harvesting area will be Kuriles. Although SakhNIRO prediction is low, Shuntov says about figures of the order of magnitude 30-35,000 tons.
As usual, little salmon will come to Primorye - tens or hundreds of tons. - Igor NIKITIN.
SAUSAGE PRICE WILL GROW
The raw material base of sausage producers is nearly depleted.
The reserves of American pork, delivered as commodity credit, are coming to an end. This humanitarian product was very convenient for local producers: stable delivery, good quality, reasonable price.
Vyacheslav Baftalovsky, director of MyasoImport company, believes that humanitarian meat has played a negative role in the destruction of traditional deliveries and loss of contacts with business partners. It will take some time to restore relationships on tougher new terms.
Anxious sausage producers turn their eyes to rural sources of raw materials. The sausage factory "Agro" receives meat from Siberia, and Nakhodka meat factory works on pork from Omsk (32 rbls/kg). "Sinevich" company works on Siberian beef bought at 26-38 rbls/kg.
The majority of meat processors remember about deliveries from China. "As soon as quarantine restrictions are lifted, we will resume buying meat in China, because it's cheaper there", say sausage producers in Nakhodka. It is most likely that the Chinese will avail themselves of the state of the market and raise meat prices.
So, the prospect of a sausage price hike is real. Says Viktor Svidenko, executive director of Nostos company: "Life will make us do this. At present, many producers work at a zero profitability level. Everybody waits who will be the first to take this unpopular step". - Larisa OREL.
Copyright © 2000 "Золотой Рог".
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