American detained in Russia for espionage, was dismissed from the armed forces for theft
KIEV. 2 Jan. UNN. American Paul Whelan, were detained in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, was dismissed from the armed forces for theft. This was reported by the newspaper The Washington Post, citing documents of the military Department who was available, reports UNN.
According to these data, Whelan began service in 1994 in the marine Corps of the United States and rose to the rank of staff Sergeant. He twice took part in the campaign in Iraq in 2004 and 2006. However, in 2008, Whelan was dismissed from the armed forces after he was convicted on several counts of theft.
As previously reported by us company BorgWarner, which employs Whelan, he holds the position of Director on security issues at companies in the U.S. and other countries. According to his brother David Whelan, the detainee was engaged in providing “physical security” facilities, to ensure that factories did not steal scrap metal. BorgWarner involved in the supply of auto parts, said that she had no objects on the territory of Russia, and Whelan was in Russia not to work. As claimed by the ABC, BorgWarner for some time cooperated with the Russian company “KAMAZ”, however, evidence that this fact could be associated in any way with the detention of Whelan, no.
According to sources, The Washington Post, American since 2007 and regularly visited Russia. At the same time, according to his acquaintances that he talked to the journalists of the newspaper, it is with great respect for Russia and speak the Russian language at the primary level.
As stated by ABC television the brother of the detainee, this time Whelan arrived in Russia to attend the wedding of his former co-worker who married a citizen of the Russian Federation. According to these allegations, the American stayed at the hotel “Metropol” in Moscow and with other guests saw the sights of the city, and on the morning of Friday, December 28, that is, in the day of his arrest, attended a tour of the Kremlin. After 17:00 (16:00 in Kyiv) buddy Whelan has lost contact with him and could not find him anywhere, and then on Sunday, December 30, reported him missing to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
According to brother Whelan, American had after a visit to Moscow to go to St. Petersburg, and then on 6 January to fly back to the United States.
As reported UNN, US intelligence has ceased to receive information from secret informants in Moscow.