Kirsan's Panamanian Problem
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:50 am
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Even people I know in FIDE aren't all that clear on what the arrangements are, but at the same time seem happy not to find out either. The attitude seems to be that as long as the money gets spent on chess (in some way or other) then where it came from does not really matter.
I am not the definitive Guardian reader, but have to admit that over the past couple of years that newspaper has been one of the few places where proper investigative journalism can sometimes be found. However, their higher standards do not extend to the people they assign to chess related stories.Nigel Short wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/ ... lyumzhinov
I'm impressed. It didn't take you long to assimilate all the material I referenced ( or perhaps you had previously studied and remembered the details discussed in 2009 ).Mike Truran wrote:Come on Nick. You need to do better than this.
To be fair, you do come over as something of a FIDE apologist.
The name of Boxall in connection with the Panamanian lawyers.NickFaulks wrote:
Seriously, can you point to one significant thing that we know in the light of The Guardian's revelations that was not public knowledge before?
Graham Boxall was for decades a leading Private Client and Trusts lawyer in Jersey. It seems unimaginable that any such person would have avoided contact with Mossack Fonseca, nor any reason why they should.Roger de Coverly wrote:The name of Boxall in connection with the Panamanian lawyers.NickFaulks wrote:
Seriously, can you point to one significant thing that we know in the light of The Guardian's revelations that was not public knowledge before?
Actually isn't the involvement of the lawyers with FIDE new?
I don't know about Graham Boxall, but I suspect there are senior UK chess figures who would side with Ilyumzhinov were it not so toxic to admit to such support in UK circles. It surfaced in the opposition to Nigel Short as FIDE Delegate.NickFaulks wrote: By the way, I realise that the article includes
"But some senior UK chess figures have sided with Ilyumzhinov. They include Graham Boxall, Fide’s internal auditor."
Is there any evidence for that?
Not a lot, but at the same time it doesn't hurt to have a refresher now and then. Also, these stories aren't really for the likes of us on here, but for the general public who haven't followed events since the year dot.NickFaulks wrote:Seriously, can you point to one significant thing that we know in the light of The Guardian's revelations that was not public knowledge before?
What hasn't surfaced is any confirmation of a financial involvement of Kirsan with Agon. It may be that there wasn't one. At the same time, it's confirmed there was a financial involvement with Agon's predecessors and a draft contract to involve him with Agon.JustinHorton wrote: There's a few things about the way the stories are written that I don't much care for, but I'd rather this stuff appeared in the papers than it didn't.
The trouble is that as is typically the case, no evidence is provided of anything illegal having been done, and the central accusation is that the deal was kept secret by the ruling cabal and surfaced only though the Panama leaks. That would be a valid criticism if full details hadn't been on FIDE's own website since 2009, if only the Guardian journalists had been sufficiently professional to check.JustinHorton wrote: but I'd rather this stuff appeared in the papers than it didn't.