Tangled webs

Alexsandr Mashkevic is a Kazakh billionaire (with Israeli citizenship) who deals with Lakshmi Mittal (Mittal's Dr. Johannes Sittard now runs Alferon Management) and is President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congressand. Famously, he met Lord Levy when he went in October 2003 to carry a letter from Mr Tony Blair (Prime Minister) to Nursultan Nazarbaev, the Kazakh president. (Where's a decent courier service when you need one ?) . Mr Blair subsequently gave Mr Nazarbayev an honorary knighthood. (Well technically it was the Queen wot did it)

It later became public knowledge that Mr Mittal had in 2001 given £125,000 to the New Labour / New Britain Party.

Alex has operated with Patokh Chodiev (an Uzbek) and Alijan Ibragimov (the tabloids in Russia and elsewhere call them the Troika or Trio) in developing the natural assets in Kazakhistan which have unfortunately come under the scrutiny of various legal authorities, not least the US where EX Exxon Mobil Executive Jimmy Giffen awaits trial on US States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Passed in 1997, the F.C.P.A. cites it is unlawful for any American to bribe foreign officials, either directly or through an agent, "for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business".

Alex and the trio operate Alferon Management , Second Floor, 16 St James Street, London W1 (which also operates as International Mineral Resources) and has extensive mining interests in such far off, foreign places of which we know so little such as Zambia (They own through Swiss based J &W Investments the privatised assets of the State owned RAMCZ purchased 2005) , Congo, Indonesia, Kosovo, (Ferronickeli Complex, LLC, a nickel plant purchased in a privatisation sale May 31st 2006) and Russia.

Luanshya Mine which is part of the IMR / J & W holdings in Zambia, is the birthplace of Former Miss Zambia UK, Emma Chishimba, who took the Miss Commonwealth Africa crown at the Miss Commonwealth Triple Crown Beauty Pageant held at the Hammersmith Palais in London on Sunday 16 July 2006.

Emma recently graduated with an MSc. in Multi Agent Intelligence Systems (Robotic & Artificial Intelligence).

Pic of Emma with the first Republican President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda.

Readers of the City Press may be aware that Corus (including what was British Steel) has just been taken over by the Indian conglomerate Tata, who may divest certain UK assets - e.g Rotherham Special Steels.

This is an interesting list of people with interesting interests.