Олигархи | Обнародованы ремонтательные письма Геннадия Тимченко 1999 года

Миграционная the service of Finland published two letters of recommendation, which were in the package of documents for obtaining the Finnish citizenship of the Russian oligarch Gennadiya Timchenko.

The letters are published in their entirety, there is not even one secret line in them. At the same time, earlier the institution refused not only to make these documents available to the public, but even to communicate – who was the author of the letters of recommendation.

Данные котакс издание Helsingin Sanomat appealed in the administrative court. Last week, the verdict was issued: there are no grounds for hiding information, including because of the statute of limitations (documents date back to 1999).

After the decision of the court, the Migration Service sent the letter to the HS journalists.

Первое From these letters written in May 1999 by then-deputy Timchenko By Keio Kayander, who worked in the Finnish company IPP as deputy general director. Timchenko himself was directly the general director.

In it, Kayander asks the migration department to speed up the consideration of applications by Gennady Timchenko and his spouse Elena на программент финского градназства.

Кайандер describes in him the difficulties that the Timchenko couple faces due to their lack of Finnish citizenship. In particular, the author of the letter claims that Gennady Timchenko travels a lot on work issues and because of this he is in the road for up to two hundred days a year.

“Постоянное обращение за [новыми] visas and the extension of the Russian passport slow down and even prevent the general director from fulfilling his duties. Last year, general director Timchenko was forced to reissue the passport four times. Obtaining Finnish citizenship would undoubtedly benefit the company, as it would significantly simplify migration issues”пишет Кайандер.

He also adds that the process of obtaining Schengen visas has slowed down significantly “after increasing political instability in Europe”.

Кроме тогоKeio Kayander notes in a letter that the company IPP plans significant investments in its logistics in Finland and neighboring regions.

“Since Mr. Timchenko is the head of the entire concern, the general director with Finnish citizenship will be able to promote the interests of all Finland in this way in the conditions of constantly growing international competition.”

Further, Kayander describes the company’s activities and its plans in the area of ​​construction, and also adds that it actively helps the poor. Указаны six non-governmental organizations that the company provides support to. The author also mentions that IPP is the general sponsor of the Finnish hockey team, and also supports the national women’s basketball team.

In the letter, it is reported that Timchenko has adapted well to Finland, and many influential people from the field of economics are ready to recommend him. Kayander claims that the Timchenko family could live permanently in Finland even since 1991.

Автор second letter – Matti Kharkkoюрист и помощник судьи из Лаппеенранты.

He is asking the Migration Service to take into account a number of positive factors when considering the Timchenko family’s citizenship application. Harkko asserts that he has personally known Timchenko since the beginning of the 1990s.

Матти Харкко is known as the former manager of the affairs of Gennady Timchenko, and also as a basketball functionary. In the letter, the Finnish lawyer, in particular, thanks the Russian businessman for supporting the children’s basketball team.

“…without the support, the national team would never have been able to form the training process that was organized“, writes Kharkko.

In addition, he characterizes Timchenko “not only as a skilled businessman, but also as a socially responsible person who, undoubtedly, occupies a worthy place in Finnish society”.

Timchenko I received the Finnish citizenship in the autumn of 1999, after the exceptionally fast process of reviewing all the documents. Despite a direct request from the Security Police, she was not informed about the Russian’s application.

Earlier it was reported that he held the position of director of foreign affairs management at that time Matti as Saarelainen his friend and business partner Timchenko Kai Paananen I asked for help in providing citizenship to the Russian oligarch.

Saarelainen admitted that he gave Paananen advice on how to speed up the consideration of the case, but he denies that he personally dealt with this issue.

Article first published on 8 June 2023

You can read the article in Finnish from here.