Gazprom’s Next Generation Stasi

Roman Kupchinsky has a piece up on Jamestown about Gazprom’s extensive network of European lobbyists – atop which of course sits Mr. Gerhard Schröder, the highest paid lobbyist/fixer who now sits on the board of TNK-BP as well as Nord Stream.  In the last paragraph of the article (after the jump), Kupchinsky pulls no punches – harsh stuff.  We are however glad to see that not everybody has forgotten all about Strehober, which seemed to be just one of those weird, disappearing stories.

Gazprom Germania has also been plagued by charges that some of its highest level managers were former agents of the notorious East German Security Service, the Stasi. Felix Strehober, the financial director of Gazprom Germania, came under investigation in May 2008 for allegedly lying about his past as a former East German spy, according to Cologne chief prosecutor Guenther Feld. More than 100 documents from the Stasi archives were uncovered accusing him of working with state security, while he was a student in East Berlin. Strehober, who studied in Moscow from 1978 to 1982, joined the Stasi in 1985 and worked for the feared East German secret police until 1989 (DPA, May, 7 2008). Strehober was fined for hiding his past, but no verdict was reached and his case was suspended.

Gazprom Germania’s director for personnel andorganizational matters, Hans-Uve Kreher, was an informal employee ofthe Stasi and collaborated with the organization under the operativepseudonyms of Roland Schroeder and Hartmann. Kreher himself does notdeny that he had worked with the Stasi. A company spokesman declaredthat they knew about his past, however, he added that “we are not anenterprise penetrated by Stasi agents” (Die Welt, February 11). (…)

There is no doubt that these highly qualified, well connected and verybright individuals employed by GPlus Europe and Gazprom Germania servea vital purpose in creating an illusion that Gazprom is honorable andtransparent, and that it is indispensible for European energy security.As the point men for Putin and Alexander Medvedev, the head of GazpromExport, who pays their salaries, they are indeed “men of sacrifice”working for a cause which lead to the energy subjugation of the EU by ashady clan within the Kremlin.