Viktor Uspaskich
Encyclopedia
Viktor Uspaskich (born 24 July 1959 in Urdoma
, Arkhangelsk Oblast
, Soviet Union
) is a Russia
n born Lithuania
n entrepreneur, professional welder and politician.
in 1985 and worked as a welder
in the gas industry. He left shortly after for Finland
, before returning in 1987, divorcing his Belarussian wife with two children (Julia, Eduard) and marrying Jolanta Blažytė. He formed his own company Efektas in 1990, and took citizenship of the newly formed Republic of Lithuania in 1991.
With power he quickly gained tremendous success in his business empire that now includes the importation of natural gas from Gazprom
, in addition to flourishing enterprises in the food production and animal fodder industries.
(parliament). His own political ambitions led him to form the Darbo Partija
(Labour Party) in 2003. The DP scored highly during the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections
, gaining 30.2% of the popular vote and returning 5 MEPs
. That same year, he became Minister of Economic Affairs in Lithuania's coalition government.
(Labour Party) was suspected of income violations by the financial police. Victor Uspaskich went to his homeland Urdoma
(Russia
) to his brother's funeral
and came back in late 2007. He is believed to have been hiding from the law
enforcement and interpol
. Lithuania had issued an arrest warrant for Uspaskich, who was in Russia
, as he was suspected of tax fraud.
Urdoma
Urdoma is an urban locality in Lensky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Verkhnyaya Lupya River, a tributary of the Vychegda. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Urdomskoye Urban Settlement, the only urban settlement in the district...
, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n born Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n entrepreneur, professional welder and politician.
Early life
He arrived in Lithuanian SSRLithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
in 1985 and worked as a welder
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
in the gas industry. He left shortly after for Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, before returning in 1987, divorcing his Belarussian wife with two children (Julia, Eduard) and marrying Jolanta Blažytė. He formed his own company Efektas in 1990, and took citizenship of the newly formed Republic of Lithuania in 1991.
With power he quickly gained tremendous success in his business empire that now includes the importation of natural gas from Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
, in addition to flourishing enterprises in the food production and animal fodder industries.
Political career
Between 1997 and 2003 he was chairman of the Association of Lithuanian Employers, and in 2000 was selected as a non-party member of the Naujoji sąjunga (New Union) social liberal party in the SeimasSeimas
The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...
(parliament). His own political ambitions led him to form the Darbo Partija
Labour Party (Lithuania)
The Labour Party , or DP, is a centrist political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich....
(Labour Party) in 2003. The DP scored highly during the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections
European Parliament election, 2004 (Lithuania)
The European Parliament election of 2004 in Lithuania was the election of MEP representing Lithuania constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13.-Results:...
, gaining 30.2% of the popular vote and returning 5 MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
. That same year, he became Minister of Economic Affairs in Lithuania's coalition government.
Financial scandal
In the end of May 2006 his political party Darbo PartijaLabour Party (Lithuania)
The Labour Party , or DP, is a centrist political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich....
(Labour Party) was suspected of income violations by the financial police. Victor Uspaskich went to his homeland Urdoma
Urdoma
Urdoma is an urban locality in Lensky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Verkhnyaya Lupya River, a tributary of the Vychegda. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Urdomskoye Urban Settlement, the only urban settlement in the district...
(Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) to his brother's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
and came back in late 2007. He is believed to have been hiding from the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
enforcement and interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
. Lithuania had issued an arrest warrant for Uspaskich, who was in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, as he was suspected of tax fraud.