ID :
137508
Sat, 08/14/2010 - 01:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/137508
The shortlink copeid
Trial of Russia pilot suspected of drug trafficking to begin
.
NEW YORK, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - The trial of Russian pilot
Konstantin Yaroshenko who is suspected by the US authorities of the
organisation of illegal international drug transportation, will formally
begin in New York. The Manhattan federal court of the southern district of
New York on Friday will hold pre-trial hearings during which the sides of
the prosecution and defence are to exchange technical information.
Since early June, Yaroshenko, 42, has been kept in an investigation
prison in New York where he was brought from the Liberian capital
Monrovia. Together with another several detained persons he is suspected
of the organisation of international cocaine trafficking from South
America. According to Yaroshenko, he was arrested by persons in civilian
clothes who did not produce any documents. In several days after staying
in a Liberian prison Yaroshenko was airlifted to the United States by a
transport plane and only on arrival to New York he learnt that he was
brought to the United States.
According to a copy of the formal charge dated July 1, 2010,
Yaroshenko "as a pilot and air transport specialist transported cocaine
batches of thousands o kilograms over South America, Africa and Europe."
To this end he allegedly "used at least five planes." "As a pilot and
businessman he agreed to provide planes, pilots and crews that were to be
used for the transportation of cocaine from South America to Liberia and
from Liberia to other places in Western Africa," the document says.
"Yaroshenko realised that from Liberia part of the cocaine would finally
brought to the United States."
Washington has already officially apologised to Moscow over the
violation of international law norms during the detention of Yaroshenko.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley said
that Washington believes that the American side failed to observe the
international law norms regulating the procedure of notification by one
state of another of the detention of its citizens. "We have apologised to
Russia," the US official said.
Crowley said that after Yaroshenko attended a court hearing in New
York on June 1, US officials tried but failed to notify Russian diplomats
that they could have access to the prisoner. "We just happened to send
(the notice) to the wrong embassy," Crowley said. "Normally we try to
arrange these consular notifications within 72 hours and we didn't
discover our error until it was after that period of time." The spokesman
would not say which embassy initially received the notice. "We pressed the
wrong button on the fax machine, to be brutally frank," he said. Crowley
said there was an exchange of messages with Moscow to explain the
communication error. "We freely acknowledge that in our diplomatic note,
you know, to Russia," Crowley said. "And we do believe this matter has
been resolved."
-0-
.RF, Denmark to plan joint navy exercises in 2011-Baltic Fleet cmdr.
COPENHAGEN, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - In 2001 Russia and Denmark will
start to plan joint naval exercises, Commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet
Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov told Itar-Tass. He arrived in Copenhagen on
Thursday at the invitation of Commander of the Royal Danish Navy Rear
Admiral Nils Wang to attend festivities on the occasion of the 500th
anniversary of the Royal Danish Navvy.
During talks between the Baltic Fleet commander and commander of the
Danish Navy the sides discussed further joint work. "Next year we will be
planning joint exercises to drill fighting piracy at sea and marine rescue
operations," Chirkov said. "Meetings of working groups will be held that
will be planning these events. I hope that the Defence Ministry will
approve this initiative."
In Copenhagen the Baltic Fleet commander will also participate as a
guest in an enlarged session of the Council of Navy Commanders of European
countries. "Russia's representative is for the first time taking part in
this informal forum," Chirkov stressed. "We would want Russia to become
member of this forum - at the initial stage, maybe as observer, and
further - as a permanent member."
"Russia is a European country and it has many interests in Europe,"
the commander stressed. " Russia is also a sea power with a vast
operational zone and responsibility zone. Therefore we would like Russia,
starting from the Navy, to develop good neighbourly relations with
European countries. I hope that during the discussion we will reach accord
and understand the European Navy's development trend. We will also tell
them about the Russian Navy and offer our variants of cooperation in
various operational zones," Chirkov said.
"For many years the Russian and Danish Navies have had very good
relations," the Baltic Fleet commander said. "We have been friends for a
long time. I can recall that in 1956, at the height of the Cold War the
Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze called at Copenhagen." "It should also be
taken into account that Denmark is a state that, in essence, guards the
Baltic Sea, as all ships entering it pass the Danish straits."
In conclusion the RF Baltic Fleet commander said that the Russian Navy
is not planning to take part in the DANEX 2010 international naval
manoeuvres that will be conducted in the Baltic Sea near the Bornholm
Island in the Kattegat and Skagerrak Straits on August 16-26.
-0-
.Kadyrov offers parliament to change name of republic head post.
GROZNY, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has
offered the republic's parliament to change the name of the post of the
head of the Chechen Republic.
"On the first day of the holy month of Ramadan I signed a resolution
on leaving for the annual vacation. Before that I sent to the Chechen
parliament an official letter in which I ask to change the name of the
supreme executive of the Chechen Republic," Kadyrov told reporters. He
stressed that he is "ready to accept any term specifying the post of the
head of the subject (of the Federation), except the name "president."
Kadyrov explained his position by his belief that "there should be
only one president in a united state, and in subjects the first persons
can be named heads of republics, heads of administrations, governors and
so on." In his view, the "parade of regional presidents" should be stopped
in the country.
The republic's head also noted that "from the first days he refused
from the idea to sign an agreement between the federal centre and the
Chechen Republic on the delimitation of authority." "I am strongly
convinced that such documents are absolutely not needed. We have the
Constitution in which everything is specified. So there should be no
subjects with special authority," Kadyrov stressed.
Kadyrov for the first time is taking a vacation on the post of the
Chechen president. According to him, he intends "to spend these days in
prayers, visit shrines, engage in charity."
-0-ezh
NEW YORK, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - The trial of Russian pilot
Konstantin Yaroshenko who is suspected by the US authorities of the
organisation of illegal international drug transportation, will formally
begin in New York. The Manhattan federal court of the southern district of
New York on Friday will hold pre-trial hearings during which the sides of
the prosecution and defence are to exchange technical information.
Since early June, Yaroshenko, 42, has been kept in an investigation
prison in New York where he was brought from the Liberian capital
Monrovia. Together with another several detained persons he is suspected
of the organisation of international cocaine trafficking from South
America. According to Yaroshenko, he was arrested by persons in civilian
clothes who did not produce any documents. In several days after staying
in a Liberian prison Yaroshenko was airlifted to the United States by a
transport plane and only on arrival to New York he learnt that he was
brought to the United States.
According to a copy of the formal charge dated July 1, 2010,
Yaroshenko "as a pilot and air transport specialist transported cocaine
batches of thousands o kilograms over South America, Africa and Europe."
To this end he allegedly "used at least five planes." "As a pilot and
businessman he agreed to provide planes, pilots and crews that were to be
used for the transportation of cocaine from South America to Liberia and
from Liberia to other places in Western Africa," the document says.
"Yaroshenko realised that from Liberia part of the cocaine would finally
brought to the United States."
Washington has already officially apologised to Moscow over the
violation of international law norms during the detention of Yaroshenko.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley said
that Washington believes that the American side failed to observe the
international law norms regulating the procedure of notification by one
state of another of the detention of its citizens. "We have apologised to
Russia," the US official said.
Crowley said that after Yaroshenko attended a court hearing in New
York on June 1, US officials tried but failed to notify Russian diplomats
that they could have access to the prisoner. "We just happened to send
(the notice) to the wrong embassy," Crowley said. "Normally we try to
arrange these consular notifications within 72 hours and we didn't
discover our error until it was after that period of time." The spokesman
would not say which embassy initially received the notice. "We pressed the
wrong button on the fax machine, to be brutally frank," he said. Crowley
said there was an exchange of messages with Moscow to explain the
communication error. "We freely acknowledge that in our diplomatic note,
you know, to Russia," Crowley said. "And we do believe this matter has
been resolved."
-0-
.RF, Denmark to plan joint navy exercises in 2011-Baltic Fleet cmdr.
COPENHAGEN, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - In 2001 Russia and Denmark will
start to plan joint naval exercises, Commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet
Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov told Itar-Tass. He arrived in Copenhagen on
Thursday at the invitation of Commander of the Royal Danish Navy Rear
Admiral Nils Wang to attend festivities on the occasion of the 500th
anniversary of the Royal Danish Navvy.
During talks between the Baltic Fleet commander and commander of the
Danish Navy the sides discussed further joint work. "Next year we will be
planning joint exercises to drill fighting piracy at sea and marine rescue
operations," Chirkov said. "Meetings of working groups will be held that
will be planning these events. I hope that the Defence Ministry will
approve this initiative."
In Copenhagen the Baltic Fleet commander will also participate as a
guest in an enlarged session of the Council of Navy Commanders of European
countries. "Russia's representative is for the first time taking part in
this informal forum," Chirkov stressed. "We would want Russia to become
member of this forum - at the initial stage, maybe as observer, and
further - as a permanent member."
"Russia is a European country and it has many interests in Europe,"
the commander stressed. " Russia is also a sea power with a vast
operational zone and responsibility zone. Therefore we would like Russia,
starting from the Navy, to develop good neighbourly relations with
European countries. I hope that during the discussion we will reach accord
and understand the European Navy's development trend. We will also tell
them about the Russian Navy and offer our variants of cooperation in
various operational zones," Chirkov said.
"For many years the Russian and Danish Navies have had very good
relations," the Baltic Fleet commander said. "We have been friends for a
long time. I can recall that in 1956, at the height of the Cold War the
Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze called at Copenhagen." "It should also be
taken into account that Denmark is a state that, in essence, guards the
Baltic Sea, as all ships entering it pass the Danish straits."
In conclusion the RF Baltic Fleet commander said that the Russian Navy
is not planning to take part in the DANEX 2010 international naval
manoeuvres that will be conducted in the Baltic Sea near the Bornholm
Island in the Kattegat and Skagerrak Straits on August 16-26.
-0-
.Kadyrov offers parliament to change name of republic head post.
GROZNY, August 13 (Itar-Tass) - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has
offered the republic's parliament to change the name of the post of the
head of the Chechen Republic.
"On the first day of the holy month of Ramadan I signed a resolution
on leaving for the annual vacation. Before that I sent to the Chechen
parliament an official letter in which I ask to change the name of the
supreme executive of the Chechen Republic," Kadyrov told reporters. He
stressed that he is "ready to accept any term specifying the post of the
head of the subject (of the Federation), except the name "president."
Kadyrov explained his position by his belief that "there should be
only one president in a united state, and in subjects the first persons
can be named heads of republics, heads of administrations, governors and
so on." In his view, the "parade of regional presidents" should be stopped
in the country.
The republic's head also noted that "from the first days he refused
from the idea to sign an agreement between the federal centre and the
Chechen Republic on the delimitation of authority." "I am strongly
convinced that such documents are absolutely not needed. We have the
Constitution in which everything is specified. So there should be no
subjects with special authority," Kadyrov stressed.
Kadyrov for the first time is taking a vacation on the post of the
Chechen president. According to him, he intends "to spend these days in
prayers, visit shrines, engage in charity."
-0-ezh
