Ilyumzhinov denies having business contacts with Syrian authorities and businesses
MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) - FIDE World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who has been included in the U.S. sanctions list over Syria, has rejected the U.S. Treasury Department's accusations of pursuing commercial projects with businessman George Haswani, who also faces sanctions.
"It is written there [in the documents of the U.S. Treasury Department] that [George Haswani] and I have set up different companies and structures since 1997. But I did not know him in 1997 - we got acquainted in the early 2000s, but I do not remember exactly when," Ilyumzhinov told a press conference at the Interfax central office on Tuesday.
Ilyumzhinov reiterated that he had no business contacts with representatives of Syria's authorities and businesses.
"I have no commercial relations with citizens of Syria - either legal entities or individuals. I am friends with them. I have been meeting with doctors, businessmen," he added.
Ilyumzhinov said he owned 18% of Russian Financial Alliance (RFA) bank. Mudalal Khuri does not own any stake in the bank, where he is chairman of the board of directors. The bank has no accounts held by Syrian citizens and no relations with Syrian banks. "They presented a document about this, it's easy to check," he said.
Ilyumzhinov said his inclusion in the sanctions list was the reason for freezing a deal to buy Togliattiazot , Russia's biggest ammonia producer. Togliattiazot said on November 27 that its shareholders had called off the deal with Credit Mediterranee SA, a fund controlled by Ilyumzhinov, and that Ilyumzhinov would stand down as president of CJSC Togliattiazot Corporation.
"The company's shareholders were U.S. citizens, and, as I signed paperwork as Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, lawyers recommended that my mandates as the plant's president and our financial and commercial relations be suspended," Ilyumzhinov said.
He said it was not clear at the moment whether the process of purchasing the company would resume if he was removed from the sanctions list.
"That's not the only issue, there are several issues, which is why I want to go to court and protect my honor, dignity and business reputation, because being added to the sanctions list caused the deal to collapse," he told an Interfax correspondent, when asked whether the deal might still go through if he was removed from the sanctions list.