Roman Tsepov

Roman Igorevich Tsepov (Russian: Роман Игоревич Цепов, (July 22, 1962, Kolpino, Leningrad Oblast, USSR – September 24, 2004, Saint-Petersburg) was a Saint Petersburg businessman and confidant to Vladimir Putin during Putin's work at the Saint Petersburg City Administration. Born Belinson, Tsepov changed his surname upon marriage to Tsepova. Tsepov was suspected of criminal and corruption activity.

Biography

Upon graduation from the Supreme Political school of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, Tsepov served in the Internal Troops as a political commissar. In 1990, he retired from the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the rank of captain.

"Baltik-Eskort"

In 1992, Tsepov founded the security firm "Baltik-Eskort". The firm provided protection to high ranking Saint Petersburg officials, including the city mayor Anatoly Sobchak and his family, as well as the vice-mayor Vladimir Putin. In this role, Tsepov also acted as an "intermediary between Putin and business". At the same time "Baltik-Eskort" rendered security services to a number of criminal leaders, in particular Aleksandr Malyshev, the leader of "Malyshev's gang" and his family and several figures of the Tambov Gang. [http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2368580 Roman Tsepov, R.I.P] by Charles Gurin, Eurasia Daily Monitor #93, September 272004]

Criminal activity

In 1994, Tsepov was arrested on charges of illegal storage of weapons. It is rumored that the real reason for arrest was gathering of "protection" money to secure gambling licenses from city office of Vladimir Putin. [http://www.mn.ru/issue.php?2004-37-14] [http://www.stringer.ru/publication.mhtml?Part=0&PubID=1269] [http://www.whoiswho.ru/russian/Password/papers/15r/putin/st5.htm] [http://www.compromat.ru/main/putin/tsepov1.htm] .Starting in 1993, there were five unsuccessful attempts on Roman Tsepov's life. His name appears in several criminal investigations, the last one being in March, 1998 on charges of extortion of 70 thousand dollars [http://www.mk-piter.ru/2004/09/29/026/] [http://www.apn-spb.ru/publications/print359.htm] .Tsepov went into hiding and fled to Czech Republic [http://www.stringer.ru/publication.mhtml?Part=0&PubID=1269] [http://www.whoiswho.ru/russian/Password/papers/15r/putin/st5.htm] ] [http://www.compromat.ru/main/putin/tsepov1.htm] .

Prominent businessmen

Upon Vladimir Putin's coming to power, Tsepov became one of the most influential figures in the financial and political life of Saint Petersburg. He took part in the presidential inaugural ceremony of Vladimir Putin. Tsepov's power and influence were attributed to his close association with then Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliyev, the chief of Presidential Security Service Viktor Zolotov (Zolotov attended Tsepov's funeral [http://www.newspb.org/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=561 Николай АНДРУЩЕНКО. Полоний и три Владимира. Газета "НОВЫЙ ПЕТЕРБУРГЪ", №49(813), 21.12.2006 г] ] [ [http://www.apn-spb.ru/publications/print359.htm Пакт Матвиенко-Медведева] ] [http://www.svobodanews.ru/articlete.aspx?exactdate=20070112175720537 Виктор Резунков, Игорь Корольков. Расследование отравления радиоактивным изотопом Романа Цепова, бывшего телохранителя Анатолия Собчака и Владимира Путина. Радио "Свобода", 12.01.07] ] ) and deputy head of presidential administration Igor Sechin.He was also affiliated with Saint Petersburg branches of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and FSB [http://compromat.ru/main/putin/tsepov1.htm Роман Цепов. "Жертва необратимого процесса"] ] [ [http://kurg.rtcomm.ru/week.shtml?m=3&y=2004&cat=17&wid=225 Центр Кургиняна. Путин и политика] ] [ [http://www.skandaly.ru/news/news484.html СПРАВКА В ОТНОШЕНИИ ПУТИНА В В ] ] [ [http://www.mn.ru/print.php?2004-37-15 Цепов был мне не чужим"] ] [ [http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2004/71/07.html Николай Донсков. ПОЧЕМУ ПОГИБ ОХРАННИК ПРЕЗИДЕНТА] ] [ [http://www.bankpress.ru/archive/2135359.html Bankpress.ru: На смену Борису Йордану приходит Роман Цепов ] ] . Journalists named Roman Tsepov "a security oligarch"] [ [http://www.lawlinks.ru/print.php?id=11064 Павел Луспекаев. Генералам нужен злодей?] ] [ [http://old.flb.ru/material.phtml?id=31505 Агентство федеральных расследований. Роман Цепов умер от неизвестной болезни] ] [ [http://www.lenpravda.ru/readingreg1.phtml?id=2997 Фарма-мать зовет?] ] . Regarding all this real or rumored activity, Tsepov stated: "For some reason all the time Tsepov appeared to be the most convenient figure for rumors. Elections - Tsepov. Criminal investigations, tranches, credits, fuel business, security, a casino - Tsepov. Personnel rearrangements - me too. The grey cardinal necessarily should exists at king's court" [ [http://www.lenpravda.ru/reading1.phtml?id=2986 Атака серых кардиналов. "Ленинградская правда", 17.06.2002] ] . In the summer of 2004, Tsepov was rumored to attempt to mediate between the government and the YUKOS. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/12/888236cc-139d-4212-a28d-88451fdaccab.html Russia: The KGB's Post-Soviet 'Commercialization'] by Victor Yasmann, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, December 202006.]

Death by poisoning

Tsepov fell sick on September 11, 2004, and died on September 24. A postmortem investigation found a poisoning by an unspecified radioactive material. He had symptoms similar to Aleksandr Litvinenko [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2484298,00.html The Putin bodyguard riddle] , The Sunday Times, December 32006] [http://www.newspb.org/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=561 Полоний и три Владимира] ] [http://www.svobodanews.ru/articlete.aspx?exactdate=20070112175720537 Расследование отравления радиоактивным изотопом Романа Цепова, бывшего телохранителя Анатолия Собчака и Владимира Путина] ] .

Trivia

Tsepov was the producer of Vladimir Bortko's television mini-series "I have the honor" . The series was awarded a TEFI, the highest television award in Russia, as best film. [http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=1697 'King of Shadows' Poisoned] , The St. Petersburg Times #1007 (74), September 282004.]

See also

* Aleksandr Litvinenko

References

External links

* [http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=17078 The KGB's post-Soviet "commercialization"]
* [http://weblogs.nrc.nl/weblog/moskou/2006/12/04/de-gifconnectie-yukos-st-petersburg/ De gifconnectie Yukos-St Petersburg]

External links in Russian

* [http://www.stringer.ru/publication.mhtml?Part=0&PubID=1269 Справка в отношении Путина В.В.]
* [http://www.whoiswho.ru/russian/Password/papers/15r/putin/st5.htm Олег Лурье, Инга Савельева. Путин. Четыре вопроса к наследнику престола]
* [http://www.spb-business.ru/show.php?directory=80099 Охранное предприятие «Балтик-Эскорт]
* [http://www.aprb.spb.ru/10let/p24.htm ООО. «Балтик-Эскорт» (справка)]
* [http://2005.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2005/22n/n22n-s00.shtml Связной с прошлым]
* [http://www.mn.ru/issue.php?2004-37-14 … И близкие покойного (смерть Романа Цепова)]
* [http://www.mn.ru/issue.php?2004-25-55 Час мародера]
* [http://2004.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2004/72n/n72n-s15.shtml Охранник петербургских тайн]
* [http://www.lenpravda.ru/reading1.phtml?id=2986 Атака "Серых кардиналов"]
* [http://www.lenpravda.ru/gate.phtml?id=1184 Роман Цепов «помогал хоть чёрту»]
* [http://2004.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2004/71n/n71n-s07.shtml Почему погиб охранник президента]
* [http://www.pravda.ru/news/accidents/25-09-2004/26324-0 Кто убил бывшего охранника Путина?]
* [http://grani.ru/president/m.77298.html Отравлен бывший глава охраны Путина]
* [http://www.antikiller.info/81321 Бланк, Цепов и ГУВД]
* [http://www.compromat.ru/main/putin/tsepov1.htm Роман Цепов. «Жертва необратимого процесса»] .
* [http://www.compromat.ru/main/putin/tsepov6.htm Б.Ливанов. Смерть Романа Цепова]
* [http://www.mk-piter.ru/2004/09/29/026/ Из книги Андрея Константинова «Бандитский Петербург]
* [http://www.flb.ru/?path=3&info_id=31527&text_version=19 Жизнь и смерть Романа Цепова]
* [http://www.mk-piter.ru/2004/09/29/026/ Конец Романа]