Incomes of Chechen president and his gifts to "Terek" footballers are actively discussed in Russian blogosphere

Jonathan Legear, a newcomer of the "Terek" Football Club (FC) has confessed that Ramzan Kadyrov, who is also the president of the FC, triples the bonuses paid to the players and presents expensive watches and cars to them. The users of the Livejournal try to understand: where the Chechen leader takes money to buy expensive gifts.

Starting September 8, this topic is being actively discussed in the Livejournal of Alexei Navalny. To date, the post about the generous gifts and personal incomes of Ramzan Kadyrov has 1034 comments. As a result, the post got into the 10 top topics of the Russian blogosphere.

The newcomer Legear has stated that he was surprised and is very pleased with the bonus system used in the Russian club. "I have nothing to complain about in 'Terek'. We really pampered by the President. The team-mates told me that he often comes into the locker room after the match and triples our bonuses," the Goal.com quotes Legear with reference to the Belgian edition Het Nieuwsblad.

According to the footballer, after the match Kadyrov may reward best players with 75,000 euros in cash in envelopes. "Sometimes Kadyrov presents players with expensive watches and even cars," Alexei Navalny, a famous Russian blogger with over thousand comments to his post quotes the player in his Livejournal.

Along with Legear's words, Navalny has posted a link to the official declaration of incomes, assets and liabilities of Ramzan Kadyrov, which is available on the website of the Government of the Chechen Republic. According to the document, in 2010, Ramzan Kadyrov earned 4,191,138 roubles, and his personal property is only a flat with area of 36 square meters.

"Four million roubles are quite a lot; however, it's easy to calculate that the public servant Kadyrov could 'give out 75,000 euros in cash' exactly 1.5 times, provided that his family of nine persons will not eat, drink and dress for a whole year. A reasonable question arises: where does the civil servant (and a member of the 'Edinaya Rossiya' Party) Kadyrov take the money to award so generously the 'Terek' players?" asked Alexei Navalny and caused a lively debate in the blogosphere.

"This post is not addressed at the Russians and other nations of Russia, who are plundered for the sake of fun of some 'prince', a member of the 'Edinaya Rossiya' Party, but at Chechens, who continue, for their most part, living in poverty. Let them assess themselves how the money is spent, which is sucked out, allegedly for their needs, from the whole of Russia," Navalny sums up.

Immediately, opinions of bloggers diverged; some of them believe that Kadyrov's main merit is the republic's progress.

"Most reasonable people share the opinion about the invaluable contribution made by Kadyrov in restoration of Chechnya, while Navalny isn't worth any attention; he is just a provocateur," writes the user of the Livejournal max_shnayder.

As for the generous bonuses, some users have suggested that Kadyrov is encouraging "Terek" players not out of his pocket.

"First of all, the money can be not Kadyrov's personal funds. When you get your salary at work, you don't suspect that the accountant or the cashier pay their own money to you. Secondly, the declaration presents data about his incomes, but Kadyrov could have savings, which is irrelevant," writes the user under nickname mohatma_ghandi.

"Maybe I'm too inexperienced, but I'd say: "'Terek' is funded by businesses (which of course needs support from the top). Kadyrov doesn't pay from his pocket (same as his other expenses). If you were doing business in Chechnya, I assure you that you have behaved in the same way as Chechen businessmen do," said the user pavliq1983.

However, other users of Livejournal are still interested in Kadyrov's real revenue sources.

"And how would you explain Kadyrov's incomes? He has a lot of expensive cars and watches - it's just from what is seen, as he makes expensive presents to artists. And his cars - are they sponsors' gifts too? But a politician should feel indecent when taking such gifts. And about bonuses to athletes: if this is sponsors' money, it should be accounted and taxed, etc., while Kadyrov should not command it on his behalf. Or there are no gifts?" asked muzil wrote.

Let us note here that the information about expensive gifts to stars of sports and show business is published in the media not for the first time. Thus, in 2008 Ramzan Kadyrov rewarded the well-known stylist Sergey Zverev with a wristwatch worth 100,000 euros. On his return to Moscow Zverev himself told journalists about it.

According to the version narrated in the material of the magazine "Kommersant-Money" (article named "Caucasian Joker" published on September 12), Ramzan Kadyrov is rich through his friendship with wealthy businessmen. "In 2006, Umar Djabrailov and Ruslan Baisarov, knowing about Ramzan's love for expensive cars, gave him on his 30th birthday a Ferrari Testarossa for 450,000 euros with a number plate, consisting of his initials and age - K030RA," the article said.

However, the main source of the incomes of the head of Chechnya is the Regional Public Fund named after the Hero of Russia Akhmad Kadyrov, the magazine writes. According to the edition, Chechen businessmen are regularly donating money to the fund, where Ramzan Kadyrov's mother Aimani is the president.

The website of the Fund runs that it is replenished "by voluntary donations of entrepreneurs, businessmen and just non-indifferent people. The Fund contributes to the republic's large-scale construction of houses, bridges, roads, helps citizens in hardships because of unemployment, natural disasters, accidents, and victims of armed conflicts."

"However, the latest information on the website about implemented projects dates back to December 2007; while it is impossible to find any reports about its financial and economic activities," said the article published by the magazine "Kommersant-Money".

Ramzan Kadyrov himself said earlier that the money is granted to the Fund by "former friends of Akhmad Kadyrov." "Despite the fact that many of Chechen businessmen no longer live in the republic, but mostly in Moscow, they periodically transfer money on restoration," said Kadyrov in his an interview to the "Strana.Ru". "I can even give some names: brothers Umar and Hussein Djabrailov, Mikhail Gutseriev and other noble persons."

In June 2009, Ramzan Kadyrov said in his comments on his income declaration that his money had almost gone; while the property ascribed to him belongs either to his relatives or to the people of the Chechen Republic.