'Putinophobia abroad': Panama Papers 'direct attack on Russian president' – Kremlin

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'Putinophobia abroad': Panama Papers 'direct attack on Russian president' – Kremlin



"It's obvious that the intention, the main target, of this attack, was in the first place against our country, and against President Putin himself."

MOSCOW: -- Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Russian President Vladimir Putin has very publically labelled the Panama Papers revelations an attack on himself and the country.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the scandal as “Putinophobia abroad,” despite the leader not actually being named in the files.

“It’s obvious that the intention, the main target, of this attack, was in the first place against our country, and against President Putin himself,” he said.

He said reports of secret offshore deals and loans worth two billion dollars being linked to Putin’s inner circle were merely an attempt to discredit the president, ahead of September’s parliamentary elections.

Peskov added that the documents contain “nothing concrete and nothing new” about Putin.

The people of Moscow, however, were less fervently sure about how much of the leaked information to believe.

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

“To some extent of course there is corruption. I can’t explain all the details. But it does obviously exist in the country.”

The trail left by the Panama Papers implicates many of Putin’s associates and close friends in the scandal, although the financial schemes outlined in the eleven-million-plus documents are not necessarily illegal.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-04-05

[craigt3365]

Even their own officials admit they are corrupt! Sure helps when you own the media...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Russia

On 9 December 2014 Novosti agency reported that the head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee Kirill Kabanov admitted on air that a third of Russian officials were corrupt

Admit it and do something about it. Oh wait, if you did that, how could you afford this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin's_Palace

http://toinformistoinfluence.com/2015/05/08/putins-palace/

[Rayk]

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

A leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm.

I wouldn't consider a law firm to be tabloid reporting, but it just goes to show how naive the majority of the Russian population are when it comes to their dear leader. He can do no wrong.

[Naam]

[craigt3365]

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

A leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm.

I wouldn't consider a law firm to be tabloid reporting, but it just goes to show how naive the majority of the Russian population are when it comes to their dear leader. He can do no wrong.

This is what happens when you don't have freedom of the press. Even China has 100% blocked news of this. As their officials are widely implicated also.

[Berkshire]

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

A leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm.

I wouldn't consider a law firm to be tabloid reporting, but it just goes to show how naive the majority of the Russian population are when it comes to their dear leader. He can do no wrong.

Most Russians know that it's pointless going against Putin or his cronies. For one, nothing will happen. And two, they'll very likely end up dead.

[geriatrickid]

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

A leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm.

I wouldn't consider a law firm to be tabloid reporting, but it just goes to show how naive the majority of the Russian population are when it comes to their dear leader. He can do no wrong.

Not naive. As in Thailand, they know what is occurring, but they cannot do anything about it and so become willing accomplices.

Corruption is a diabolical disease, eventually poisoning all that it touches.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

No smoke without fire.

[Yann55]

'Putinophobia' ... I like that word. And I kind of like the concept too

Funny how world leaders nowadays, however unpalatable they are, however unacceptable their attitude and actions, want nevertheless to be liked. We have entered the Facebook Age.

[Thorgal]

It took almost one year before publishing the Panama papers. You can also call this media laundering...because some transactions will never be published...

Instead it has been 'confirmed' and 'endorsed' by some 197 media outlets without any decent judicial investigation. Sounds very democratic to rely on media outlets instead of activating judicial process.

Majority of articles and pictures published on the media use Putin as a scapegoat while it hasn't been confirmed that he ever used one Baht through Mossack&Fonseca...

And of course, there are no fingerprints of Western political manipulation...

Edited April 5, 2016 by Thorgal

[boomerangutang]

Putin will weather this little storm.

The bigger issue is the Chinese oligarchy. No surprise that the 1st thing the Chinese iron fist did when this story broke (for the rest of us) was clamp down a ten ton block on the news getting to the Chinese general population. Expect many arrests in the coming months - of journalists and chat-room minders or any other Chinese who even breathe a mention of this issue. Similar to Chinese arrests of book store managers who have the audacity to sell books which are non-flattering of the ruling henchmen. Note: there are also several Thais on that Panama list.

It's almost comical that, as big as this news is becoming, it's only one company - a tiny fraction of ww rich people hiding cash and assets. It's done mostly to avoid taxes, but also so as not to appear too filthy rich to their populace. It would REALLY be interesting if there were published revelation of what goes on in Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Caribbean islands, and other popular places for the very rich to hide money.

[mopar71]

Putin's denials are just posturing for his domestic audience. He is aware the rest of the world knows he is just a KGB-mafia boss.

‘Nothing To See Here’: Russia Shrugs At Latest Allegations Against Putin

Analyst Semyon Novoprudsky notes the Russian public has long been conditioned not to think too much about the content of such reports but to immediately begin discussing “why” it was published and “who benefits” from it.

“In the final analysis, the problem of the reputation of the president of Russia inside Russia has already been completely resolved,” Novoprudsky says. “Those who like him, consider him a hero no matter what he has done and those who don’t like him will consider him a villain no matter what happens.”

http://russialist.org/nothing-to-see-here-russia-shrugs-at-latest-allegations-against-putin/

BTW - anyone interested in Russia should bookmark Johnson's Russia List. It has been the best English language source of Russian news for 20 years, ever since it started out as a massive email newsletter. Browse around for a few minutes to see for yourself: http://russialist.org/

[Jingthing]

Like anyone's surprised?

[Rayk]

“You know what I think about all of this? It hasn’t been proven. They haven’t caught these people red-handed. It’s just tabloid reporting.”

A leak of 11.5 million documents from a Panama-based law firm.

I wouldn't consider a law firm to be tabloid reporting, but it just goes to show how naive the majority of the Russian population are when it comes to their dear leader. He can do no wrong.

Not naive. As in Thailand, they know what is occurring, but they cannot do anything about it and so become willing accomplices.

Corruption is a diabolical disease, eventually poisoning all that it touches.

That is a lame excuse. If they really chose to do something about it they most certainly could, both here and there. But they choose to do nothing.

[craigt3365]

It took almost one year before publishing the Panama papers. You can also call this media laundering...because some transactions will never be published...

Instead it has been 'confirmed' and 'endorsed' by some 197 media outlets without any decent judicial investigation. Sounds very democratic to rely on media outlets instead of activating judicial process.

Majority of articles and pictures published on the media use Putin as a scapegoat while it hasn't been confirmed that he ever used one Baht through Mossack&Fonseca...

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1459830329.203052.jpg

And of course, there are no fingerprints of Western political manipulation...

Guaranteed there's going to be a lot of judicial investigations by many nations around the world. Except in Russia, China, Saudia Arabia, etc, etc.

No article has linked Putin to this. Just his inner circle/friends and the bank he controls. But no smoking gun against Putin. Of course, where there's smoke, there's guaranteed to be fire. And since he runs the country with an iron fist, nothing will come of this in Russia.

[retarius]

Putin's name is not mentioned once in the documents. This is guilt by association…his friends and associates control shell companies created by the lawyers, M-F.

It is no different than saying because Lord Ashcroft controls several shell companies created by M-F and he is a close friend and associate of Cameron, (being at one time Tory Party chairman; and major donor and having non-dom status) therefore Cameron is guilty of corruption because he knows Ashcroft.

A load of bull manure in my opinion.

[craigt3365]

Putin's name is not mentioned once in the documents. This is guilt by association…his friends and associates control shell companies created by the lawyers, M-F.

It is no different than saying because Lord Ashcroft controls several shell companies created by M-F and he is a close friend and associate of Cameron, (being at one time Tory Party chairman; and major donor and having non-dom status) therefore Cameron is guilty of corruption because he knows Ashcroft.

A load of bull manure in my opinion.

You need to read a bit more about this. Putin's involvement is much more than this. Lots of documents out there for you to read.

[boomerangutang]

Russian people probably don't care much whether their long-time ex-KGB leader (and his buddies) hides money away. They mainly want food on the table, and a bottle of vodka nearby. .....and a dry furry hat, cause it's always so darn cold there. Oh, they may also want an armored car, because Russkies, with all the icy roads and vodka-addled brains, are awful drivers, ....but maybe not as bad as Thais.

[derator01]

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