On Tuesday in Moscow has passed hearing on the case of Paul Whelan, arrested by the FSB and accused of espionage. The judge refused to release the suspect on bail and left him in custody until February 28. The Russian secret service reported that a citizen of the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland, is a former US marine Paul Whelan was detained at the time when he had a flash drive with secret files.
Paul Whelan, held on spy charges in Russia, will remain in Moscow jail until trial https://t.co/SllUXPe1bu pic.twitter.com/uZYCVBYj9V
— BuzzWorld (@BuzzWorldOrg) January 22, 2019
Rosbalt, citing sources, claims that the flash drive was the lists of employees of the Russian special services and FSB suspects that Whelan engaged in espionage against Russia the last 10 years. Whelan’s lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov not deny that with Whelan at the time of arrest have found a drive with sensitive data, but considers it a provocation. According to him, Paul Whelan was deceived: he promised to convey to him private photos (with different holidays, which depicted his friends and himself), but he did not view the transferred material.
Paul Whelan came to Moscow to my friend’s wedding in December last year, but disappeared on December 28. 30 Dec FSB and the Russian foreign Ministry officially informed about his detention red-handed while getting secret information. As a further suspicious fact is that the Russian officials stressed that Whelan is a veteran of the U.S. marine corps. At the Pentagon, soon replied that he had served many years ago in the technical units of the reserve and was discharged in 2008 (for reason of indiscipline and theft). Earlier in the 1990s, Whelan served in Junior positions in the police in Michigan.
In recent years, Whelan was the head of the security service BorgWarner is an American company engaged in the production of spare parts and has offices worldwide. Now, given the secrecy before the court documents, observers can only guess about the reasons for the arrest Whelan. Of course, the Russian version of espionage can not be rejected, however, his position and occupation in recent years is not characteristic of intelligence. Besides riding in it too often and quietly. However, Whelan could hold important business information to be captured to gain access to commercial structures. In Russia, the arrest of a businessman to gain control or information about the companies — are not uncommon.
Accused US spy Paul Whelan found with Russian ‘state secrets,’ lawyer says https://t.co/G7tVZREZfY https://t.co/xlc1NWuAu6 pic.twitter.com/WCSuW6MFTi
— Maths of FollowBack (@FollowBackMaths) January 22, 2019
The media immediately started saying that Whelan could’ve taken Moscow as hostages to be exchanged for Russians arrested in the US, for example Mary Butina. Of course, while the foreign Ministry and the US state Department rejected the possibility of negotiating an exchange, but in this case you need to wait to draw conclusions.
Maria Butina met with Kislyak. Why? Because he ran the Russian spy ring in America. And this is the dude our president brags to? This is like the first dude he invites to the Oval Office? Why does a nation that is currently waging war with the USA, given such privilige status? pic.twitter.com/QK5JfEdDjE
— Creatia (@creatia) January 18, 2019
Meanwhile, in prison in the United States is the Russian citizen Dmitry Makarenko, who was accused of espionage in favor of Russia. He came to Saipan for vacation with family to the island on December 29 and was arrested at the airport. Makarenko accused of attempt of illegal export to Russia of U.S. military items: night vision devices military grade thermal imaging devices and blasting caps to ignite the charge. Since he was arrested a day after Whelan, many believe that it is possible not only consistent, but a causal relationship. If the US response to the arrest Whelan in America should have known about the arrest on 29 December, before the official announcement from the foreign Ministry. However, this version contradicts the fact that a warrant for the arrest of Makarenko was discharged by the court of Florida in the summer of 2017. A year later he was convicted his partner in this business Ukrainian Vladimir Nevidomy, who testified on Makarenko and is now in jail.
Good morning Honolulu!!! pic.twitter.com/DiWcMPrPZf
— fiona 🦁 (@40lions) January 22, 2019
Of course, the Russians about it could not know, strange is not so much the timing of the two arrests, but his arrival on Saipan (associated territory of the United States) together with his wife, minor children and elderly parents. Editor-in-chief of the Russian edition of «Echo of Moscow» Alexei Venediktov in the air shared the doubts of his sources: not consciously whether the 38-year-old businessman Makarenko was going to give up? Then new year’s eve, and the complicated status of the island of Saipan he could choose to cheat the system, without arousing suspicion before you find yourself in the hands of the FBI. Then his arrest may not be associated with the Whelan case, and on the exchange will be difficult to say.
