Press Release from RCDS Press Release from RCDS

From: RCDS Press Release - Dec 26, 2004

RUSSIAN COMMITTEE OF DEAF SPORT

OFFICIAL PRESS-RELEASE

CONTRADICTION

Dear colleagues!

Each of us has faced with articles authored by Rafael Pinchas more than once. Without any requests Pinchas regularly send out his "creations" be e-mail to all CISS/Deaflympics members. For the time being we didn't see proper to comment his activities. We preferred to ignore all Pinchas' messages and absolutely disbelieve him.

But Pinchas' notice "Top Russian Deaflympics Official Charged with Signature Forgery Felony" dated by 17th November 2004 contains corrupt and calumnious information which defames good name of Nikolay Klimov, Honorary President of Russian Committee of Deaf Sport (RCDS).

Abovementioned text is based at anonymous article "The Signature Forgery Affair" printed in Russian deaf magazine V EDINOM STROYU (November issue). We want to note that this article roughly misrepresents facts. We were unpleasantly surprised by publishing such doubtful and unchecked information in well-respected and widely-read magazine. And "illusionist" Pinchas - as usual - "made a mountain out of a molehill".

Now we will describe a real state of things. National Russian Deaf Society (known as VOG) has a Learning Method Center (LMC) for training and additional education of VOG officers. It is a very useful and helpful institution. LMC is situated in three buildings owned by Moscow Government and rented by VOG.

Term of rent agreement expired at the end of 2002. VOG had some arrears and was not able to prolong acting rent contract or conclude new agreement. It was a real danger to those these three buildings. In this instance LMC became "homeless" - very sad prospects...

At a critical juncture Nikolay Klimov (acting RCDS President at that date) decided to support VOG. He proposed to transmit rent from VOG to RCDS to keep buildings for LMC. And after will VOG satisfy debts to Moscow Government RCDS must transmit rent agreement back to VOG. It is important to note that Nikolay Klimov and RCDS had no interested motives in this matter - only the aim was to help LMC to continue its educational work.

But during registration process in Moscow Property Department it developed that some documents contains Xerox copies of signatures instead of originals. The matter was referred to Arbitral Court. After five hearing sessions Court made a verdict: to declare invalid an agreement on transmission of rent from VOG to RCDS". That's all - court's decision didn't contain any other resolution. Rent agreement was transmitted back to previous owner. VOG had paid all debts by that time and prolonged rent agreement with Moscow Government. Such result suited everyone.

However Mr. Pinchas made a real detective story based on this ordinary bureaucratic incident. He insists that Nikolay Klimov committed an act of signature forgery by attempting to defraud other organization for the purpose of obtaining the property ownership rights for his own sports organization in an illegitimate and secretive manner". His statement, to put it mildly, mismatches to reality. Only the aim of Klimov's actions was to save buildings for LMC.

But the most outrageous line in Pinchas' article is: The court in Moscow, after five hearing sessions, made a verdict: Nikolay Klimov is guilty!" This information is absolute wicked calumny. Court decided ONLY to declare invalid an agreement on transmission rent from VOG to RCDS. Name of Nikolay Klimov didn't figure in this matter at all. By the way, court decision says nothing concerning "signature forgery". There are no facts verified Pinchas' mere words about felony" committed by Nikolay Klimov.

At the conclusion Pinchas shows us one more false conclusion - he supposes recent resignation of Nikolay Klimov from RCDS Presidency is concerned with fabricated signature forgery affair". This is a real raving! Indeed, Nikolay Klimov has resigned from RCDS Presidency because he is very busy at his main work. But at extraordinary RCDS conference which took place at 8th December in Moscow newly-elected President Valery Rukhledev (who is also the Head of VOG) offered candidacy of Nikolay Klimov to a post of Honorary President. It is remarkable that all delegates unanimously supported this offer! Klimov and Rukhledev keep respectful relations. Will it be possible if all Pinchas' tales would be a truth?

Russian Committee of Deaf Sport officially disprove and refute information contained in Pinchas' article "Top Russian Deaflympics Official Charged with Signature Forgery Felony" dated by 17th November 2004. We declare it to be a lie based at rough and malevolent distortion of facts. RCDS considers Pinchas' activities as inferior provocation and blames him strictly.

RCDS Press Service Moscow, Russian Federation