ESTONIA: Politicians accused of selling fake resident permits to Russians

Record ID: 241059

  • Title: ESTONIA: Politicians accused of selling fake resident permits to Russians
  • Date: 9th December 2011
  • Summary: TALLINN, ESTONIA (DECEMBER 9, 2011) (REUTERS) TALLINN OLD TOWN PEOPLE AT NEWS STAND
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Estonia, Estonia
  • Country: Estonia
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5P18YFSZNP7EBNVG2ASG06FK3
  • Story Text: Estonia's Citizenship and Migration Department on Friday (December 9) said it would investigate accusations that Estonian politicians have been selling residence permits to wealthy Russians.
    "We will verify once again existing applications and check if the issued residence permits were registered officially, as well as whether those people are really engaged in business in Estonia. In case of any violations found, the residence permit will be revoked," said the head of the Aliens Division at Citizenship and Migration Department, Liis Valk.
    The scheme was made public by journalists of a national television who claim that three members of the ruling coalition party are involved in almost 200 cases of residence permits in Estonia being sold to Russian and Belorussian millionaires.
    The members of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union - Siim Kabrits, member of Estonian parliament Indrek Raudne and Tallinn City councilman Nikolai Stelmach are involved in the scandal.
    Estonian journalists allege that the residential permits were sold for between 3,500 - 4,000 euros. In order to offer this service, the politicians registered 78 enterprises in one of their apartments in the centre of Tallinn, while in the other apartment 147 well-off citizens of Russia and Belarus were registered; 125 of them are already equipped with valid residence permits.
    Current Estonian legislation states that temporary residence permits may be issued if the applicant is a board member of an Estonian enterprise or will invest 63,000 euros in the Baltic state. Media claims state that wealthy non-European citizens are using the residency permits as a free ticket into the Schengen zone.
    One of the residency permit obtainers, Russian millionaire Evgeny Mulyukov, bought the Marfin Bank building in the centre of Tallinn for almost 7 million euros.
    Estonian newspaper Eesti Päevaleht reports the residence permit was also issued to Igor Sintikov, accused of money-laundering in Russia.
    The scandal has resonated on the Estonian political scene as politicians who were bartering the residence permits come from the Liberal Conservative party Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, whose political platform is based on high moral and ethical principles.
    Indrek Raudne has since resigned from ministerial duties.
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