DATE=9/8/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - YELTSIN (L)
NUMBER=2-253623
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 5:47 P.M.
INTRO: Russian President Boris Yeltsin telephoned
President Clinton Wednesday to deny allegations that
he and his family are involved in an international
money-laundering scandal. Correspondent Deborah Tate
reports from the White House.
TEXT: The Washington Post (newspaper) Wednesday
quotes Swiss investigators as saying they have found
evidence linking Mr. Yeltsin and his two daughters to
a bribery scandal involving a Swiss firm that received
Kremlin contracts.
The Swiss officials are quoted as saying the company
[Mabetex] paid tens of thousands of dollars in charges
for credit cards issued to Mr. Yeltsin and his
daughters [Yelena Okulova and Tatyana Dyachenko]. In
addition, the firm is said to have transferred one-
million dollars to a Hungarian bank several years ago
- allegedly for Mr. Yeltsin's benefit.
U-S National Security Adviser Sandy Berger says the
Russian president denied the allegations during his
hour-long phone call with Mr. Clinton.
The alleged bribe scheme is the latest in a series of
allegations involving high-level Russian corruption
that has the United States concerned. U-S
investigators are also probing whether Russian
organized crime was responsible for illegally
funneling billions of dollars through accounts at the
Bank of New York.
Mr. Berger says Mr. Clinton urged Russia to cooperate
with international investigators who are probing the
matter. Mr. Yeltsin vowed that his country would do
so.
/// BERGER ACT ///
He indicated the government of Russia would
cooperate with these investigations. He
suggested at least in part there may be some
political motivations in his own country that
affected these allegations, but he indicated
that they would cooperate, and that they were
sending a team to the United States on the 13th
of September.
/// END ACT ///
The team of Russian law-enforcement authorities will
meet with members of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and other officials. Mr. Berger also
noted that Moscow will host an international
conference on law enforcement issues next month.
The National Security Adviser says the two presidents
also discussed arms control issues. Earlier
Wednesday, U-S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe
Talbott opened talks with Russian officials in Moscow
on a new round of cuts in each country's nuclear
weapons stockpiles.
In addition, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Yeltsin discussed
next week's Asia-Pacific Economic summit in New
Zealand. Mr. Clinton will be attending the meeting,
but Mr. Yeltsin be represented by his prime minister,
Vladimir Putin. (Signed)
NEB/DAT/WTW
08-Sep-1999 18:14 PM EDT (08-Sep-1999 2214 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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