Vladimir Kuznetsov (diplomat)
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Vladimir Kuznetsov was the head of the United Nations Committee for Administrative and Budgetary Issues. He also served as a diplomat for the Russian Mission. He has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kuznetsov pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. This is the first time Kuznetsov faces charges.
Kuznetsov was indicted in September 2005 following a guilty plea and immediate cooperation by the former UN official Alexander Yakovlev, who is facing 20 years in jail on a conspiracy to commit money laundering charge and has not been sentenced. Yakovlev's lawyer, Arkady Bukh, has stated that he expects Mr. Yakovlev's sentence to be "significantly" reduced in exchange for Yakovlev's testimony at trial.
Kuznetsov was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, at least $1m in bribes from foreign companies seeking contracts with the world body. His indictment accuses him of conspiring with CC-1, the likely code-name for Russian U.N. Procurement officer Alexander Yakovlev (UN procurement) for U.N. Procurement contracts, notably for Compass Group's subsidiary Eurest Support Services and for the Oil-for-Food Programme.
Vladimir Kuznetsov has also been named in recent lawsuits by Swiss catering group Supreme Foodservice AG, and Monaco-based Es-Ko International, relating to the U.N. Procurement contracts. Kuznetsov set up an offshore company, Moxyco, and opened a bank account in its name in the Caribbean island of Antigua. Alexander Yakovlev (UN procurement), then transferred the funds into that account between 2000 and 2005. After Yakovlev told him of the secret payments, Kuznetsov agreed to take a share of the money rather than turn him in to the authorities, a spokesperson said.
The FBI arrested the Russian diplomat, who chairs the United Nations' powerful budget oversight committee. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Manhattan federal court and was released on a $1.5 million bond and agreement to surrender his travel documents. Russian authorities paid to have Kuznetsov released from the Manhattan prison; however he must remain under house-arrest during the court proceedings, until at least April 2006, when the next court session will be held. All Kuznetsov’s movements are being monitored by electronic bracelet.
[edit] Background
Kuznetsov was elected to a three-year term on the budget advisory committee in January 2003. The prestigious panel’s 15 members, including a representative of the United States, then elected him as its chairman. He has worked in various budget-related positions in the U.N. Secretariat and the Russian Mission since 1980. The chairman is the only member of the ACABQ to draw a U.N. salary and benefits, and also gets diplomatic immunity. Committee members are not UN employees and do not normally enjoy diplomatic immunity. But the General Assembly granted him immunity because of his chairmanship. This diplomatic immunity was waived however, in August, by the UN.
