The Slaying of an Entrepreneur

[Deb Palmieri on Russia Table of Contents]

The following article was published in the Russian Commerce News, November-December 1996. The Russian Commerce News is the official publication of The Russian-American Chamber of Commerce®.

The Slaying of an Entrepreneur

Recently, many American companies who do business in Russia have raised eyebrows over the recent slaying of a flamboyant, maverick, outspoken entrepreneur from Oklahoma in Moscow. Paul Tatum was president of Americom Business Centers, Inc., a partner in the joint venture that manages the Slavjanskaya Hotel complex. He was gunned down in Moscow on November 3, 1996. The event was significant in that it was the first time a presumed contract killing by Russian organized crime penetrated so deeply into the foreign business community. Our deepest condolences are extended to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Tatum.

What is the more general meaning of this event and how should Americans interpret it? The American business community cannot and will not tolerate violence as a means to resolve business disputes when they exist. Mr. Tatum's disputes with various Russian entities were public knowledge, as were his controversial dealings. After the incident, numerous condemnations of the Russians and their society rang out from the international media and other sources, including from those who consider themselves friends of Russia. But harsh condemnations of the country and sternly worded admonitions with inflammatory language directed to high level government officials and the parliament miss the boat. The Russian government, nor any government in any other country for that matter, does not have within its power the ability to control each and every action of its citizenry, especially its criminal elements. High profile killings also occur in the West. To our knowledge, the government has acted in a responsible manner to properly investigate and attempt to apprehend the criminals. It is unlikely the culprits will ever be found. But if they are found, there is every reason to believe they will be duly punished in accordance with Russian law.

Events like this and the negative publicity they engender make Russians cringe. They make me cringe too. The honest, hard-working people and officials that comprise a majority of Russians toil so hard to build the country, recover from communism, implement market reforms and charge the engines of economic growth. They begin to make progress, inch by inch at a time. The future finally begins to brighten. But only quickly to be diminished, with great fanfare, by attention given by the international media to the deplorable acts of cowardly gangster criminals who are not and never will be part of the new Russia and are not in any way reflective of the norm or spirit of the countr

We cannot allow the forces of evil and decadence, such as those who are behind the regrettable death not only of an American, but many other innocent people, to overwhelm our senses or color our perceptions about what is really going on in Russia. Russian organized crime will not prevail in Russian society, nor will its dishonesty, moral and ethical bankruptcy or illegal dealings and methods. As the institutions of law enforcement and justice strengthen and take deep root in this society in transition, so will the ability of the state to eliminate the current chaos and instability that Russia is experiencing as it sheds its old identity and develops anew. All things considered, Russia is making good progress, and has come a long way in a very short period by any historical standards or comparisons.

In my opinion, the Paul Tatum incident is an isolated act by domestic criminals and it is not likely to signify a trend of violence against foreign investors. In the aftermath of this action, a strengthening of the already determined and iron-clad will of the Russian government will continue to uncover, prosecute and severely punish acts of crime against persons and businesses. There is hope for Russia, and honest and good people inside and outside of Russia should not be deprived of that optimism by an image that criminals prevail and rule the roost. It would be a great disservice to the international community and to Russia to allow such a misperception to be mistaken for the truth.

Deborah Anne Palmieri
Russian Commerce News, November-December 1996