Who is the individual who connected Dominique Strauss–Kahn and Vucic, asks the Serbian newspaper Telegraph. The person in the circle on the picture is a banker with Bulgarian roots, Vladimir Mollov. The Geneva-based newspaper Le Temps examines the behind-the-scenes essence of this connection.
France has discreetly warned the Serbian government to not appoint as advisor Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Emissaries of the French Socialist Party have repeatedly tried to dissuade “Serbian friends,” who have “politely listened, but then have acted on their own. They wanted Dominique Strauss-Kahn and they got him,” writes the Swiss Le Temps, citing a source from the party who has requested anonymity.
What is the reason for this mistrust in the former presidential candidate and Chairman of the International Monetary Fund?
“Rather than go through Bercy (French Ministry of Finance), Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been selected due to the intervention of various Russian energy lobbies present in the Balkans. This prompted our concerns about economic interests that could stand behind the choice,” says an unnamed source of the newspaper, familiar with the Serbian-French relations.
“Besides French, Serbian financial intelligence controlled by Socialist Prime Minister Ivica Dacic (which is at odds with Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic) has also voiced concern about the lobbies working on this assignment,” the Geneva newspaper claims.
The Russian Network that Leads to Bulgaria
Banker with Bulgarian origins Vladimir Mollov is the mediator who arranged the official appointment of Strauss-Kahn in Belgrade. Longtime friend of Strauss-Kahn, he attended the welcoming ceremony of the former Head of IMF in Belgrade on September 17, but no one identified him. Mollov lives in Paris and manages the very discreet Investment Bank Argyle Bank.
The Swiss newspaper reminds that this bank was trying to buy in 2010 shares of Bulgarian energy oligarch Hristo Kovachki in Municipal Bank. The transaction failed then because of an investigation in massive financial fraud against Kovachki. Kovachki, however, is not an unfamiliar face in Serbia where he owns several dozen companies and where he outraged local press by firing 8,000 people after a series of bankruptcies, seen as “suspicious.”
Le Temps also examines in detail the positions of Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Russian financial groups. In July 2013, he officially entered the Supervisory Board of the Russian Direct Investment Fund belonging to Vnesheconombank, heir of the powerful Soviet Foreign Trade Bank. He is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Bank for Development of Regions, best known for the fact that it is owned oil giant Rosneft.
Mollov Kambourov and … KTB
French banker Vladimir Mollov (not to be confused with Valentin Mollov) manages the investment bank “Argyle” which is part of the “Altium Group.” In the Bulgarian business information system DAKSI, Mollov is listed with Swiss citizenship. In Bulgaria, he has registered in 2006 representation of ALTIUM CAPITAL CAC with address 55 “Neofit Rilski” street in Sofia.
The consortium “Argyle-Kambourov-Transacta-Moore-Stevens Bulmar” is registered at the same address. The consortium was selected by the Sofia City Hall as consultant for the privatization of Municipal Bank. Nikolay Nikolov and Vladimir Rangelov are managing the consortium.
Attorney Vladimir Rangelov from the law offices “Kambourov & Partners” entered the Supervisory Board of Bulgarian telecom BTK after it was bought by the “rotten apple” bank – Corporate Commercial Bank of Bulgarian banker Tsvetan Vasilev, in partnership with the Russian bank VTB Capital. BTK is currently fully controlled by the Russian KTB after the State dropped its last “golden share” in the telecom.
VTB Capital is also known as the “Bank of KGB” or “The Investment Weapon of Putin.” It is represented in Bulgaria by former Finance Minister Milen Velchev. A few days ago U.S. senators have requested the inclusion of this bank in the black list of financial institutions that launder money for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, bypassing the embargo imposed by the UN.
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