The Swedish Connection

Germans See Key to Probe in St. Pete

A major police raid in Germany and Switzerland has sought evidence in cases of corruption and money laundering related to telecommunications business in Russia.

The linked article in The Moscow Times gives some important elements of the story. But it fails to mention the Swedish connection.

These are the groups that Swedish-Finnish telecommunications company Teliasonera has decided to make their prime and only ally in Russia.

We'll see what comes out of the investigations. Their scope is of course strictly limited to what's illegal in Germany and under German law, so they cover only a tiny portion of what looks like a big scheme.

But it doesn't look as if these are the very best of allies one should have in countries like these.