Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1248
2008-09-18 13:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
AMERICAN SUPPLY COMPANY SURPRISED BY
how-toVZCZCXRO5890 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #1248 2621344 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 181344Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1583 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 4320 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2132 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1997 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2568 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2908 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001248
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
COMMERCE FOR HEUPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV EINV EPET TX
SUBJECT: AMERICAN SUPPLY COMPANY SURPRISED BY
CORRUPTION--IN TURKMENISTAN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1120
B. ASHGABAT 1129
C. ASHGABAT 1130
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001248
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
COMMERCE FOR HEUPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV EINV EPET TX
SUBJECT: AMERICAN SUPPLY COMPANY SURPRISED BY
CORRUPTION--IN TURKMENISTAN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1120
B. ASHGABAT 1129
C. ASHGABAT 1130
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On September 18, emboffs met with Greg Ballou, the
Amcit business development manager for Gateway Ventures
International, a U.S. company with offices across Eurasia,
the Middle East and Asia. The company's business activities
appear to be broad, but the company's recently-registered
office in Ashgabat is primarily focused on supplying
materials and equipment to oil and gas companies operating
here. As the single Amcit in a four-man office, he is
expecting approval soon for his one-year visa.
2. (C) Ballou sought a meeting primarily to seek guidance.
Although he had acquired registration for the company through
legal assistance from the Medet law firm, a business
opportunity had come up that had raised new questions for him
regarding the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local
Turkmen law.
3. (C) The company is currently working several small
contracts with Burren/ENI right now, but was recently
approached by a Turkmen contact who offered to bring a new
business opportunity to the company. The contact knew that
the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) was looking
for a vendor to procure heavy machinery needed to help CNPC
meet its deadlines related to the agreement it signed with
the Turkmen government on the construction of facilities that
will serve the Turkmenistan-China pipeline. (NOTE: Although
CNPC has been busily importing its own equipment and
materials for the range of projects underway in Lebap
province, it has also snapped up nearly all available
building materials and heavy machinery in the area as well
(refs). END NOTE.)
4. (C) The Turkmen contact could guarantee that Gateway
would get the procurement contract, but would require an
unspecified finders fee. In and of itself, this is not an
abnormal business practice in most places, but the contact
wanted the company to pay the fee into his offshore bank
account. Ballou said he became concerned about this, and the
company has not signed any agreement related to this deal.
He wants the company to steer clear of any illegalities.
Ballou seemed truly surprised by the contact's proposition,
although he claimed to have years of experience working in
Russia and Kazakhstan.
5. (C) COMMENT: Ballou would not name his Turkmen contact,
and post assumes that he is someone already contracting with
CNPC who decided to turn the company's need into an
opportunity. The fact that he wanted the payment to stay
outside the country certainly points to a desire to either
avoid taxation or to avoid creating any documentation that
the payment took place. Regardless, it all seems rather
shady. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
COMMERCE FOR HEUPER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV EINV EPET TX
SUBJECT: AMERICAN SUPPLY COMPANY SURPRISED BY
CORRUPTION--IN TURKMENISTAN
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1120
B. ASHGABAT 1129
C. ASHGABAT 1130
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On September 18, emboffs met with Greg Ballou, the
Amcit business development manager for Gateway Ventures
International, a U.S. company with offices across Eurasia,
the Middle East and Asia. The company's business activities
appear to be broad, but the company's recently-registered
office in Ashgabat is primarily focused on supplying
materials and equipment to oil and gas companies operating
here. As the single Amcit in a four-man office, he is
expecting approval soon for his one-year visa.
2. (C) Ballou sought a meeting primarily to seek guidance.
Although he had acquired registration for the company through
legal assistance from the Medet law firm, a business
opportunity had come up that had raised new questions for him
regarding the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local
Turkmen law.
3. (C) The company is currently working several small
contracts with Burren/ENI right now, but was recently
approached by a Turkmen contact who offered to bring a new
business opportunity to the company. The contact knew that
the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) was looking
for a vendor to procure heavy machinery needed to help CNPC
meet its deadlines related to the agreement it signed with
the Turkmen government on the construction of facilities that
will serve the Turkmenistan-China pipeline. (NOTE: Although
CNPC has been busily importing its own equipment and
materials for the range of projects underway in Lebap
province, it has also snapped up nearly all available
building materials and heavy machinery in the area as well
(refs). END NOTE.)
4. (C) The Turkmen contact could guarantee that Gateway
would get the procurement contract, but would require an
unspecified finders fee. In and of itself, this is not an
abnormal business practice in most places, but the contact
wanted the company to pay the fee into his offshore bank
account. Ballou said he became concerned about this, and the
company has not signed any agreement related to this deal.
He wants the company to steer clear of any illegalities.
Ballou seemed truly surprised by the contact's proposition,
although he claimed to have years of experience working in
Russia and Kazakhstan.
5. (C) COMMENT: Ballou would not name his Turkmen contact,
and post assumes that he is someone already contracting with
CNPC who decided to turn the company's need into an
opportunity. The fact that he wanted the payment to stay
outside the country certainly points to a desire to either
avoid taxation or to avoid creating any documentation that
the payment took place. Regardless, it all seems rather
shady. END COMMENT.
CURRAN