Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Some things just scream organized crime

No matter where it happens, the combination of bodies and concrete seem a sure sign of organized crime activity, especially in the construction industry. Add this to the recent report of corruption in the rebuilding of churches.

Russian Legislator’s Body Is Found in a Barrel Filled With Concrete

Mikhail Pakhomov

The body of Mikhail Pakhomov, 36, a missing city legislator and construction tycoon was found in a private basement garage on the city’s outskirts, inside a rusted metal barrel filled with concrete, the police said Monday…

The killing recalled the brutal violence that routinely emerged from business disputes in the 1990s. Mr. Pakhomov, who was reported missing last Tuesday, was a promising young star in United Russia, the ruling party founded by President Vladimir V. Putin, and had served as head of a construction company that was reported to have won large contracts to develop utilities and infrastructure in several cities.

Sergei B. Ivanov, Mr. Putin’s chief of staff, last year called housing and utilities services one of Russia’s most corrupt sectors. Many lucrative contracts are doled out on the municipal level, and large sums of money are at stake…