Arkady Dvorkovich (photo RIA Novosti / Arkady Natruskin)
According to our sources, this week one more European financial institution, LHV Bank with branches in London and Tallinn, refused to open an account for FIDE although it is now public knowledge that Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is not running.
Facing the reality of Ilyumzhinov not getting re-elected after the infamous Glen Stark scandal, Russia replaced him with another candidate: the former Russian deputy prime minister Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich.
The problem is that Russia’s new candidate is also included in a pre-sanctions list of the US Treasury for, among others, alleged “human rights violations, annexation of Crimea and ongoing military operations in eastern Ukraine” by Russia: http://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/30/politics/full-us-list-of-russian-oligarchs-with-putin-ties-intl/index.html , a risk factor that might have influenced the decision of LHV Bank to reject FIDE as a customer, at least until the elections in October are over.
We have already asked FIDE how they would handle FIDE’s banking in the Western Europe if Arkady Dvorkovich is elected and he remains in the above mentioned pre-sanctions list of the US Treasury.
It is obvious that FIDE still needs a lot of work to get its bank accounts back in order, unless Georgios Makropoulos or Nigel Short are elected and these questions stop arising. We will keep you updated as the story develops.
The FIDE Presidential race so far
Dvorkovich to run for FIDE President
Georgios Makropoulos and FIDE Forward announce electoral ticket
Nigel Short announces candidacy for FIDE President 2018-2022
June 30: Dvorkovich announces ticket, Ilyumzhinov withdraws
July 4: Three candidates for FIDE President 2018 – 2022
July 19: FIDE Elections And The Fight Against Corruption
July 25: Zurab Azmaiparashvili interview “Nobody wants for the head of FIDE to be someone who got there by means of dirty ways”
Reacting to Azmaiparashvili’s interview, Arkady Dvorkovich tweeted:
“Greetings from South Africa! Have been surprised by claims that I offered Georgios Makropoulos to become my deputy at FIDE if elected. Never did that! He has been a grey cardinal for too long. My vision of FIDE future is totally different, so no plans to offer him any executive position.”
Georgios Makropoulos responded shortly after:
Lying is a pitiful way for Arkady Dvorkovich to start a career in FIDE politics. We have lost the count on how many lies Arkady and his team have spread in only 3 weeks of campaigning.
So he flew all the way to Bucharest, during the football World Cup, and met with me privately for three hours from 3:30 to 6:30 in the night, to offer what exactly? If he insists that he was not offering important positions, people may think that he was offering money.
Anyway, I have refused all proposals by Mr. Dvorkovich as the main principle for me, as a Presidential candidate in these elections, is to achieve a politically and financially independent FIDE, away from the control of any foreign government.
#KirsanGate story
May 5: Virtual candidate on Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s ticket?
May 6: The chess world reacts to the Glen Stark case
May 6: Ilyumzhinov gets RCF support / Filatov says support may be revoked if ticket changes
May 8: The largest Norwegian newspaper on the FIDE elections and the Glen Stark affair
May 10: Glen Stark affair is a year long story
May 11: Glen Stark? Gary? Or maybe …Igor Shinder? Now officially #KirsanGate
July 13: FIDE Ethics Commission suspends Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
