The nominations are in. Find Fashion out who’s making waves on the Haute cowture Cambridge scene in this year’s >> Page 16 Oliver Wyman Varsity 100 Issue No 670 Friday Feb 1 2008 varsity.co.uk e Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 From Ukraine with love » ‘Criminal’ Ukrainian donations funding language tuition at Cambridge Slavonic Studies Centre Richard Power Sayeed News Editor Language courses at Cambridge are being funded by a central-Asian gas trader described as “criminal” by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. RosUkrEnergo, a Gas pipelines in gas trader which owns the export Ukraine and (inset) monopoly on Russian, Uzbek and Mogilevich, the Turkmen gas fl owing into Ukraine, man who allegedly is jointly owned by Gazprom, a com- controls them pany with strong links to the Rus- sian state, and billionaire Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash. Mr Firtash has been funding Ukrainian language courses at the Department of Slavonic Studies since the beginning of the academic year. The company he jointly owns, RosUkrEnergo, is widely viewed as gradually exposing Ukraine to uncontrolled energy markets, after years of subsidisation by Russia. Many in Ukraine and elsewhere be- lieve that RosUkrEnergo is linked to the Kremlin and to organized crime. Through his DF Foundation, Mr Firtash has funded the continuation of the course since the beginning of the academic year. The course had been running for several years, funded by external donations, but Mr Firtash’s donation, which was a matter of thousands, has made ex- tension of provision possible. Only the origins of much larger fi nancial gifts are regularly examined by the University. Professor Simon Frank- hope that the donor would not re- using it to launder money. An inquiry told Varsity that it was more likely metics giant owned by the man with lin, head of the Department of Sla- main anonymous, and told Varsity that he ran into Mogilevich’s links to that this arrest “relates more closely whom Mogilevich was arrested last vonic Studies, argued that Ukraine’s that “this is part of a wider attempt RosUkrEnergo whilst chairman of to political dealings in Moscow”, and week. robust political life is “in itself not to further educate about Ukraine. the Ukrainian Security Service was suggested that Prime Minister Ty- Prof Franklin also dismissed such a matter for the University.” Prof For instance we’re running a Public not completed after he left the post. moshenko, a vocal critic of the Krem- links as “a lot of swirling rumour”, and Franklin was adamant, however, Lecture on contemporary Ukrain- Stanislav Belkovsky, previously a lin, did not have suffi cient leverage told Varsity that he was “comfort- that he “would not want to receive ian nationalism at Robinson on the political aide to Prime Minister Ty- to demand Mogilevich’s arrest. able about every penny that we’ve funding from unethical sources” or if 22nd”. moshenko, told the Financial Times There has been much specula- received.” He said that though he “I thought that anyone was damag- Mr Firtash has also been linked that Tymoshenko had been putting tion, however, after it emerged that was “very well aware of rumours re- ing the interests of Ukraine.” to infamous international gangster pressure on the Kremlin over RosU- Zeev Gordon, an Israeli lawyer who garding DF”, he didn’t want to speak Franklin said he believed it was in Semyon Mogilevich, whose arrest krEnergo, and the “real reason” Mr has represented Mogilevich in the about the company. However, he told the “interests both of the UK and of in Moscow was announced last Fri- Mogilevich had been arrested now, past, previously worked for Firtash Varsity that Mr Firtash was increas- Ukraine that there should be people day. Mogilevich, who has a degree in after living openly in Moscow for in 2003 when he helped him set up ingly operating in the legal and geo- in this country who are capable of Economics, is known as “the Brainy several years, was his connections EuralTransGas, which preceded graphical context of the EU, and that studying and interpreting Ukraine Don”, and was described by the Brit- to gas trading. Mogilevich, whose RosUkrEnergo as Central Asian oil he was “delighted, if the university in the depth that it deserves”. Such ish authorities as “one of the world’s money-laundering resulted in the trader, and was led by very similar can satisfy itself through its normal study “just doesn’t exist in this top criminals”. collapse of one of Russia’s largest management. Gordon insists that procedures”. Franklin applauded country” and “is not going to be In Ukraine many have alleged private banks, and who apparently this does not indicate any links be- the fact that philanthropy is “begin- supported internally”. Earlier this that RosUkrEnergo is linked to offered to sell Osama bin Laden tween Mogilevich and Firtash. ning to enter the mindset of people month, Slavonic Studies announced Vladmir Putin and to organized enriched uranium, has been on the Robert Shetler-Jones, Firtash’s DF who have been successful in East- the creation of a fi ve-year tempo- crime. First deputy prime minister, FBI’s most wanted list since 2003. Group’s British chief executive, also ern Europe in the last fi fteen years, rary lectureship in Ukrainian Stud- Oleksandr Turchynov, has claimed But Anthony Fisher, President of denies any links between Mogilevich and extending beyond investment in ies, funded by an anonymous dona- that Mogilevich had a business stake The EU-Ukraine Business Council, and Firtash, or that Firtash has a football clubs.” tion of £500,000. Franklin expressed in RosUkrEnergo or was fi nancial interest in Arbat, a cos- Debate Face Off Interview Barack Obama versus Emma take on Tit Hall John Humphreys gets shirty when the Hillary Clinton in the beauty showdown tables are turned and he’s in the hotseat » Page 9 » Page 15 » Page 14 News Editors: Clementine Dowley, Richard Power Sayeed, and Isabel Shapiro Friday February 1 2008 2 NEWS [email protected] varsity.co.uk/news In Brief Cambridge bursaries on Knicker-thief nicked the rise » Trinity Hall intruder jailed for 30 months at Cambridge Crown Court The Offi ce for Fair Access has pub- lished a report on universities’ bur- Isabel Shapiro start a new life as a car washer in a saries schemes, the fi rst since top- supermarket car park. up fees were introduced. Although News Editor Julia Tilley, who felt “violated and there has been an increase in the disturbed” when her room was ran- monetary value of bursaries at A man has been sentenced to 30 sacked, attended the trial. Assisted Cambridge, from 2008/9 the upper months imprisonment after being by a translator and with his family limit at which students from low found guilty of two counts of bur- watching from the public gallery, Mr income homes are entitled to a full glary at Trinity Hall’s student accom- Jakusz pleaded guilty to two charges Cambridge Bursary will be raised modation last term. of burglary, which included the theft from £18,000 to £25,000. Above Mr Arkadisz Jakusz, a nineteen- of suitcases, female underwear and that, bursaries will be offered on a year-old Polish man, was linked to swimwear. Despite there being no tapered basis, up to £60,000. the Trinity Hall break-in after being jury present at the trial, Mr Jakusz Katherine Sirrell arrested for sexually inappropriate and his solicitor asked to bring for- behaviour at a Cambridge night- ward the sentencing, which allowed Debt double whammy club in December. His fi ngerprints a verdict to be reached the same day. matched those found at Bishop Bate- “It was really weird to hear the In the same year that the interest man’s Court after the intrusion in judge talking about my knickers and rate on student loans has doubled, November when police conducted to hear the intruder’s voice. I’m glad plans have been made to include forensic tests. to see that justice has been done, student loan data on credit fi les, During the break-in, two students but I feel sorry for the man; he’s so leading graduates to fear their were attacked while asleep in their young and he’d only been in England chances of getting on the property beds, and one unoccupied room was a few months,” said Tilley, who was ladder will be jeopardized. With ransacked. In their report to police, unsettled but relieved by the trial’s Victims Julia Tilley the interest rate having gone up students described Mr Jakusz’s er- outcome. However, there is consid- and Tom Cheshire from 2.4% to 4.8% this year, stu- ratic behaviour, including his alleged outside Bishop Bate- dents are increasingly complain- throttling of two students and theft man’s Court, where ing that they have been misled of underwear from a girl’s room. Mr the incident took over student loans. The new Jakusz has claimed not to remember Students have place plans propose to include details the incident owing to his excessive of missed loan payments on credit consumption of alcohol that evening. nicknamed Mr fi les which could lead to even more Following a hearing at the Mag- Jakusz ‘the throttler’ fi rst-time buyers being turned istrate’s Court in December, Jakusz But a spokesperson at The Crown Trinity Hall did not wish to make any down for mortgages. was remanded in custody and com- Prosecution Service (CPS) assured further statement on the develop- Clementine Dowley mitted for trial to Cambridge Crown Varsity that “The correct charge has ment of the case, but reiterated that Court where he appeared last Friday.