Slovakia's arms selling Snake: Wipera

Again, we have found a rather unknown company, this time in Slovakia. Its name sounds dangerous: Wipera. And so seems its business.

1.
Ing. Vladislav Luhový
SKYWALKER, s.r.o.

2.
Ing. Vladislav Luhový
WIPERA s.r.o.

SKYWALKER is the second company, in which the main shareholder of WIPERA is shown by the registry. The owner of this company is a rather well known Czech businessman:

1.
Ing. Lubomír Soudek
SKYWALKER, s.r.o.

Mr Soudek was formerly one of the best-known Czech businessmen, with a track record of famous companies, he was or is engaged in, some of which do not exist anymore.

Ing. Lubomír Soudek

NERO, spol.s r.o.v likvidaci, Prague (with two shareholders from Austria)
NERo, spol. Plzen (that is no mistake, but really another company)
ABRAM,s.r.o. v likvidaci
Škoda, koncern Plzeň, státní podnik
SILVER BELL s.r.o.
R.D.P. GROUP a.s.
ŠKODA a.s.
TATRA, a.s.
HEROS Alfa s.r.o.
OMNIPOL a.s.
TRUCK INTERNATIONAL a.s.
Investiční fond AB-Unifond, a. s., "v likvidaci"
R.D.P. GROUP a.s.
Sklárny BOHEMIA a.s.
SKYWALKER, s.r.o. - but registered in Prague

Whereas WIPERA has received a licence CA 000537 to export weapons and ammunition, Skywalker seems to be a conventional trading company and intermediate. It has lost some other allowances, though:

"nákup, predaj, prenájom, alebo úschova zbraní a streliva- zbrojná licencia č.: CA 000537
(od: 01.12.2005)"

"obchodovanie s vojenským materiálom v rozsahu povolenia č.KB 11 43 12 04 vydaného MH SR podľa Z.č. 179/1998 Z.z v obchodovaní s vojenským materiálom
(od: 11.12.2000 do: 10.02.2004)"

"obchodovanie s vojenským materiálom v rozsahu povolenia č. Po 36/2003 - 330 vydaného MH SR podľa Zákona č. 179/1998 Z.z. o obchodovaní s vojenským materiálom
(od: 11.02.2004 do: 16.02.2005)"

"obchodovanie s vojenským materiálom v rozsahu povolenia č. 11030333002 vydaného dňa 13.03.2003 MH SR podľa Zákona č. 179/1998 Z.z. o obchodovaní s vojenským materiálom"

Question: What are the new deals, Wipera is slinging forward to? And was has Mr Soudek to do with this Slovak arms trader? And: Is Wipera a new arm of Omnipol?

Answer:

What has happened to the Czech connection?

Ever heard of Omnipol? No, it is not another omnipotent international police, bot the big brother of Czech arms trade, before and shortly after 1990. The list of its managers and supervisors looks impressive.

Here you go with some of the former and ongoing Omnipol leaders from the Czech commercial registry draft - and the different names the company had in the meantime, until it finally came back to the name of the Czechoslovak origin from 1959.

Company name:

AEROCOPTER, akciová společnost Registered: 8. July 1996 Erazed 25. June 1997 C.H.M., a.s. Registered: 25. June 1997 Erazed: 9. April 1999 OMNYX, a.s. Registered: 9. April 1999 Erazed: 8. September 2004 OMNIPOL a.s. Registered: 8. September 2004

Identification number:

250 63 138

Company's orgáns - board of (former) directors

JUDr. Lukáš Staněk, r.č. 480318/087

ing. Jaromír Herrmann

ing. Petr Soukup,

JUDr. Lubomír Naď,

Ing. Milan Černý,

Ing. Pavel Musela,

JUDr. Ivan Hejl,

Ing. Pavel Roubal,

Ing. Richard Háva,

Ing. Michal Hon

Ing. Jiří Řezáč,

JUDr. Bruno Chudý

Ing. Milan Jurek,

Ing. Milan Faltus,

ing. Josef Piga,

Board of superviors:

JUDr. Zdeněk Bazal

ing. Miloslav Sobotka

ing. René Šmejkal

Ing. Vladimír Žák,

ing. Václav Junek,

Ing. Otakar Bízek,

ing. Marcel Breda,

Ing. Pavel Roubal,

Ing. Jan Eret,

JUDr. Martin Klimpl,

Mgr. Milena Stavělová,

Ing. Michal Habart,

Ing. Richard Háva,

Ing. Jozef Piga,

Vratislav Ondráček,

Shares: 100 pieces a 2,010,000 CZK (from 23. September 2005). Former nominal value per share: 10,000 CZK. This means a capital increase from 1,000,000 to 201,000,000 CZK.

Source: www.justice.cz

Question: Which role do these gentlemen (and the lady) play in today's arms trader family?

Answer:

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How does Turkey help Iran?

Question: Among Nato countries, there might be one whose interests in Iran differ from the interest of the USA: Turkey might see Iran as a regional ally to spread its influence in Eurasia. But are there also nuclear or military ties between Turkey and Iran?

Answer:

Why did Chavez meet Lukashenko and Putin?

Venezuela's leader Hugo Chavez has met Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, in Minsk. The visit is seen as another Venezuelian trial to set up a network of equals around the world.

"Here we feel ourselves to be among our brothers," Chavez was qouted after his arrival at Minsk airport on Sunday, July 24th. He has stayed for three days to discuss different fields of co-operation, including military issues.

"There are no doubts that Lukashenko and Chavez will find a common language. Both presidents are charismatic public figures, even though the international community has labelled them dictators," a Belarussian news website, tut.by, commented on the meeting. "Chavez has already affected almost the whole of Central America and Caribbean states with his anti-Americanism... He will probably find a couple of interesting suggestions for Belarus too," the website wrote.

After arriving in the Belarussian capital, Chavez said he wanted greater economic cooperation between Belarus and Venezuela, particularly in the sectors of energy, petrochemicals, machinery, education and science. Belarus is a major manufacturer of farm machines and trucks, but also of tanks and arms, while Venezuela is one of the world's leading oil producers.

The Venezuelan leader also visited a Belarussian military academy, in Minsk, before moving on to Russia, where he should meet President Vladimir Putin and mark a deal under which Russia will supply 30 Su-30 fighter jets and 30 helicopters to Venezuela. Washington has voiced worries about Russian arms sales to Venezuela, having banned such deals with Caracas for US manufacturers. Chavez said last month that his visit to Russia could see a deal on building a Kalashnikov assault rifle factory in Venezuela, news agencies reported.

Is the Media Focus on Arms All Right?

Having traced different arms' stories in central and east Europe, I have come to the conclusion, that a blogg on arms' trade migth help me finishing some of the reports - and detect new issues to cover.

There will be three categories of postings: stories from media, rumors from conversations, and regulations, including company's profile from commercial registries.

Whoever is interested in co-operation, may join this post, given a reference list of stories written, so far.