Mr Nazarov may be the most principled illegal casino operator in Moscow – or a pawn in a struggle by two rival law enforcement agencies for dominance.
“The gangsters, they wouldn’t totally strangle you. You could say, I have to pay my workers and profits are down this month, and they would accept less. But the cops, they just pick you clean, they have no understanding of business.”
This has led to comical results. Despite the fact that officials have admitted their guilt in taking huge bribes from Mr Nazarov, and Mr Nazarov insists that he paid those bribes, prosecutors have not found this evidence sufficiently compelling to warrant a trial on charges of corruption.
On another occasion, Mr Nazarov’s secretary came into his office quaking with fear. A top police official was on the line. “Find me a chinchilla veterinarian,” the icy voice on the other end of the line said, “or I’ll throw you in prison”
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