KPNews.com’s English-language translation of the tape released by Oleksandr Moroz allegedly linking President Leonid Kuchma to the disappearance of journalist Georgy Gongadze:
Editor’s note: This updated English-language version of the above-mentioned transcript has taken into account news events, which later developed, better clarifying what the recorded conversations were allegedly referring to.
English grammar has likewise been improved, with notes added in parentheses, in order to bring the translation in line with the meaning of the conversations that has become commonly understood in mass media to date.
Episode 1
– Hello.
– Hello.
– You give me this one at Ukrainska Pravda and … we will start to decide what to do with him. He’s simply gone too far already.
– Started a case.
– Wha-?
– Started a case… (undecipherable)
– Good
– (undecipherable)
– No, I don’t necessarily need a case. … Ukrainska Pravda, well, this is completely already, blyad, insolence. Bastard, blya. The Georgian, Georgian, blin.
– Gongadze, or what?
– Gongadze.
– Well, someone finances him…
– Well, he actively works with this, with Moroz, with Grani (Web site). I will… him with Matvienko on Saturday.
– Maybe people’s deputies to court, let the lawyers bring him to court.
– This goes to the prosecutor, right?
– No, Let Kravchenko… (undecipherable)
– (undecipherable)
– It’s just, blya, … there is some kind of limit, son-of-a-bitch, blya. …
– Deport him, blyat, to Georgia and throw him out there f*** him.
– Drive him out to Georgia and throw him there.
– the Chechens should steal him. …
Episode 2
– So that I don’t forget, there’s this one Gongadze…
– I think I’ve heard of this surname.
– Well, bastard, blya, final limit
– Gongadze. We already came across (this individual in the past). We already came across (this individual) somewhere…
– Wha-?
– We came across him somewhere. We’re looking.
– the things he constantly writes in some kind of “Ukrainska Pravda”, he pushes it into the Internet, understand. Well who, someone finances him
– (undecipherable)
– But the main thing he needs to be pushed back. Volodya says the Chechens should steal him and drive him to Chechnya to f*** himself and ask for a ransom.
– Eh, we’ll just… him somewhere
– Eh, these sort of people (laughter) are just unbelievable…
– Don’t spread anything.
– Well, and drive him out to Georgia, and that’s it.
– In the first place, will we be assigning (someone), not assigning, that head of the rayon division…, oh, you remember, the one in Chernihiv oblast who said: “Let the president pay you “
– Yeh-yeh-yeh.
– They’ve already released the vice head. They started a criminal case against him. Under (Article) 165 (of the Criminal Code) for official service violations, and 185. So I think that he’s here. And this week we’ll… him
– Yeh. Yeh. Let’s
– We (can) also show who can say what to whom.
Episode 3
– On Gongadze, besides that, there is (the information that) he works together with Moroz.
– For Moroz he’s been writing in his Grani (as early as) the summer. How does he finance (?)…
– Well, (this kind of individual) is the type of garbage. I wouldn’t be surprised that they have ties with the socialists there. … Well, we’ll take care of things with them. I think this is…
– There are plans. This is Medvechuk and Surkis?
– There is a tie between them…
– No, that’s the way one time…
– I remember this game at Kievskie Vedomosti (newspaper). Surkis, blya, why do we need a Jew, blya.
– Come on, why do you need a Jew
– And now I read some of those same conversations of theirs
– Eh, he’s the one that posts them. That was their method then. And it still exists. They’re creating a problem there, (and) later, they go to someone as though to help them and later it turns out that that person is dependent on them. And that’s how they now… This is a huge spectacle at (an incredible) level, I don’t know, maybe, (a) national (one). They played it out and it (was a) hit… Eh, it’s this sort of thing, and maybe nothing more.
Episode 4
– I would like to ask you about this sort of form. I mean to use, so that I don’t forget.
– This Georgian.
– I’m, we’re working.
– Meaning… –
– I’m telling you, drive him out, throw (him) out. Give him to the Chechens. (undecipherable) and then a ransom.
– We’ll think about (how to do) it. We’ll do it in such a way, so that
– Drive him out, undress him, blya, leave him without his pants, let him sit there.
– I’d do it simply, blya, they (reported to) me about it today. We’re studying the situation: where he walks, where he goes. We’ve got someone sitting there (engaged in) surveillance. We have to study (the situation) just a little bit, we’ll do it. The team I have is a fighting one, (they’re) such eagles, everything (that) you want, they’ll do. So, that’s the situation (at present).
– For some reason you’re not saying anything about Gongadze?
– To stay quiet (about the situation) (undecipherable)
– Honest. But I’m reporting to you. There we made somewhat of a mistake.
– He’s got a team there headed by, they told me the last name, blya.
– He wrote a complaint to the general prosecutor. Well, I think…
– Who.
– Him.
– I made a bit of a mistake here. But now I’m thinking, why I made a mistake. Now I’ll tell you. I came across the deputy head (deputy police chief) for running the city of Kyiv Opanasenko. I think that Opanasenko, I think that the group, it’s out (all over for them). So Opanasenko through his (employees) in order to get to the bottom of what kind of car this is (following Gongadze), wrote (to) Potobenko, a complaint, that is.
– Who, Opanasenko?
– No, Gongadze.- And here he gives the (license) numbers that expired a year ago. I am changing the plan here a little because… I want to get rid of that Opanasenko. My doubts were over when they reported to me all the way in Kirgizia (?) that Opanasenko is interested in the numbers so I said wait, , so that it…
I’ll do (what needs to be done) with the numbers. I simply, so that it, so that nothing anywhere works out. He’ll (Opanasenko, apparently) be here tomorrow. He’ll sign (a document) that this could be like a settlement for such matters.
– Well, so that it doesn’t go (any further, apparently), because they are throwing dirt into Russia through the Internet. You know, into the Internet through Russia.
– Clear.
– I’m not letting Gongadze out. Simply for us a question has arisen I also (want to familiarize myself with ?) it… Are there indeed (Have you indeed found out Gongadze’s ) contacts already… And there was… outside surveillance I want to study up on his contacts. What it (adds up to?, means?)…
– To find out if there isn’t a team there. They named some kind of surnames. They’re scribbling this trash
– There are three of them.
– We have them. We have them all.
– Well I want to start with him. And (how about?) this… the general (prosecutor’s office) will react. There are no (license) numbers, I don’t know.
– And what connection (does) the General (Prosecutor’s Office) (have) to Gongadze?
– Their declaration is there. This is official.
– And so what
– the declaration is official.
– And why does every sh** have to write to the general prosecutor,
– Leonid Danylovych…
– Go ahead, just send it to the rayon prosecutor.
– I don’t know what the prosecutor there will say. This is the prosecutor (apparently in the sense of “you know what I mean”)…
– All the best.
Episode 5
– Well, Leonid Danylovych, what’s new?
– About Gongadze
– …
Episode 6- How can I say this… Kravchenko promised to take care of it
– How can I say this (undecipherable) The Georgian embassy made an official announcement and made an anonymous call (from) the embassy that the Moscow rayon needs to be searched and Volkov is dealing with this matter, Kravchenko and… one can’t place politics… undermine it… (for purposes of) undermining… this also is intolerable…
– The ambassador has to be summoned
– Me too… and make some kind of notation (apparently in the sense of writing something official) or (give a ) warning, or have a conversation (talk to the Georgian ambassador).
– (You) need to make a call… and get him the hell out, this kind of ambassador, blin.
– (on the phone) Koval, you need to be removed. Have you been taking care of things with the Georgian embassy?
– (answer) We are in the process of taking care of things
– And get him over here, blya, Let him (provide an) answer, otherwise I’ll call Shevarnadze to call him back the hell with him.
– Okay- And tell him that I’ll call Shevarnadze, to take him out the hell with him.
– okay, okay, I’m calling on him right now.
Episode 7
– Listen, now they just showed me newspapers, blyat, all of these, blyat, being published. Well, Hrysha Omelchenko is continuing to put out a paper in Kremenchug (pause) Well, what are you bullsh**ing. Eh no, right now, the 15th of September, he put out a paper. (pause) And I’m telling you, September 15 (he) put out a fresh newspaper. Svoboda (newpaper) blya, is being published, and you’re still (going on) about that again… Well there, well there, there are these caricatures there, and insults too, blya completely (aimed at) the president. (pause) So then you invite Yulia. F*** your mother, you invite Yulia, and ask: “dear one, what are you bitch blya doing? Do you want for us to blya you blya completely or what.” And say: “why are you financing Omelchenko, why are you doing this-and-that.” Don’t you know the method of your job or what, how that (type of thing) is done everywhere. So if they aren’t one f***ing bit afraid of you. F*** your mother, what’s with you. Why should you be feared? It is our service that they are afraid of. … It was I who appointed you. So that’s why, get going.
Episode 8
– Listening. And where are you looking. In Poltava oblast in Kremenchug this bastard Omelchenko is publishing this newspaper, blya, simply incredible. With caricatures, blya, they’re throwing dirt on the president with their publications. So therefore, the security service and the prosecutor can’t start a criminal case together. So there, these lawyers looked at this, and say that there are grounds to start a case like this. Where’s the Service. Well yes then why aren’t they reporting now. They bring me this newspaper… Newspapers, blya they deliver (them) to me, while the service doesn’t report one f***ing thing. (pause) And that’s what’s most interesting. I’ll look (into) who’s part of this there, in this same (newspaper, apparently). All these anti-presidential correspondents.
… Yeh, and that includes Korobova of Grani. F*** your mother, imagine, this bitch, blya, this prostitute (who?) of newspapers that he brought her into. … That Gongadze, blya, good-bye-good riddance.
– They all need to be…
– The level of influence of the Verkhovna Rada is 4 percent, the level of influence of the Cabinet of Ministers or the premier (is) 0…
– On (the) mass media?
– Well yeh.
– Understand, which it (mass media, apparently) is counting on so that God forbid a finger isn’t pointed at it
– …
– Well, of course.
– …
Episode 11
– Leonid Danilovych, I want to report. I think, that I thoroughly figured out all of his structures, yes. And now the team is muffling the matter. (We found out) everything, it seems, there is on him.
– The fund Zlahoda, yeh?
– everything is there, everything. I looked there.
– And aside from the newspaper Toavarish they also have this new newspaper?
– Leonid Danylovych, we will have (find out everything about, apparently) all (of) the structures. And now (about) that gang that distributed leaflets from Holovaty?
– Yeh.
– (This is how it went), the day before yesterday he ended up all the way (out) in Sumy oblast, the one that distributed (the leaflets). (You wouldn’t believe how) they gave it to him there (laughter). And he yells: “It was Holovaty (who sent me – apparently meaning Holovaty was responsible, and not the leaflet distributor)” (laughter) And he came home, and (found his) dacha was (on fire, or had burned) and the door had burned (down)
– Whose?
– His (both laughing) Understood.
– …
– And he distributed (leaflets) one (time) or….
– We… him, the sh** came out again with a new packet. That same day 15 cops… And he was with 3 guards. Later he came out with no one (guarding him), they put him in a car. When they (drove off)… (he said) “I won’t (do this) anymore, this is Holovaty (‘s doing). Who’s your chief? Who’s your chief? (Apparently meaning, “take me to your chief), I’ll be a witness. Well, to keep it short…
– … (undecipherable) I have (an incredible) subdivision, their methods, they have no moral principles, they have nothing (of the sort). So that God forbid… Nothing (of the kind). So that simply means I (took care of things ?). I have a group and they’re beginning to muffle (the situation). With your permission I will then talk things over with Azarov.
– I have an example (apparently meaning, I have grounds for thinking) that I should also participate.
– Azarov also has an example.
– Well, something could get mixed up for us (apparently meaning, “could go wrong). But we are continuing to work.
– Is it interesting with them (apparently meaning, “have you found anything interesting with the group of activists or news publication in question?”)
– How could there be anything interesting about them…
