Hello or Здр авствуйте , as you would say in Russia.
It was Alexander Litvinenko’s funeral on Friday, the former Russian spy who died from radiation poisoning.
The identity of his murderers will probably always remain unknown, but in all probability Litvinenko was poisoned because of his campaign against Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and the KGB’s successor, the FSB.
He is only the latest to pay with his life for offending Russia’s ruling clique...
The list of prominent people murdered in the last few years includes crusading journalists such as Anna Politkovskaya (whose death Litvinenko was investigating), politicians, executives and government officials.
Others, such as Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, have narrowly survived assassination attempts or have been exiled or silenced with threats of violence or legal charges.
Litvinenko’s story evokes memories of a Cold War mystery in London. In 1978, Bulgarian émigré writer Georgi Markov was done in by a poison pellet shot or plunged into his skin by an umbrella - a murder, linked by many experts, to Moscow.
But the Litvinenko affair is raising the alarm on a broader scale, in part because of public health fears - radioactive traces have been found on London-to-Moscow flights in the past month and thousands may have been exposed to the substance. In addition, the sudden grave illness of former Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar the day after Litvinenko’s death has aroused concerns he was deliberately targeted.
Litvinenko had accused the Kremlin of involvement in a number of terror attacks such as a series of 1999 Russian apartment bombings, and issued a deathbed statement casting blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Of course we should note that Russian officials vehemently deny such charges and have offered full co-operation with British authorities investigating the Litvinenko death and radiation trail.
But besides all the mystery and intrigue, Russia actually heralds some very interesting investment opportunities... if anyone dares to go there.
When the investment crowd is looking the other way, there's no harm in snooping around
The first Russian company I ever covered was Wimm-Bill-Dann, the leading producer of juice and dairy products in Russia.
They now have over 33 production facilities in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS) with over 18,000 employees.
They produce 1,000 different types of dairy products and 150 types of juice and juice-based drinks. They occupy the leading position in the Russian dairy market... in 2005 they held a 34% market share and a 20% share in the Russian juice market.
I remember going to their first pre-IPO (Initial Public Offering) presentation vividly. It was as though I had stepped back to the 70s although nonetheless a very interesting opportunity.
But let's come back to the present...
A potential play in Russia
A new little Russian company has caught my eye. I have a really good feeling about this one, and I don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but I usually find that my gut instinct is right.
Well they’ve absolutely stormed ahead just on the initial furore that surrounds an IPO. But most companies see a hike when they first get listed. Many can drop significantly before seeing any further rises.
The company (and I really hate it when they do this) even made a statement to say that they know of no reason for the rise in the share price.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin last week lambasted the UK government for failing to suppress Litvinenko's deathbed statement.
According to The Daily Telegraph, that revealed "a lack of understanding of democratic norms that is deeply worrying".
Moscow is clearly determined to enter into a one-way relationship with the rest of the world, cashing in on trade links, but reacting with the bruised ego of a spoilt child to any criticism.
So before I reveal this potential gem of a start-up, let me track it a bit more. If it meets my criteria for a good opportunity, you'll hear about it in good time.
Until next week, have a great weekend,
Or До свидания
Melissa Carroll
for The Penny Sleuth
