The Monqiz Port Scandal stretched to Rizian national politics. De Rava's time in politics ended.
King Romus called for snap elections in 1968.
A Sotelato-headed RPP attempts to win the election
The only person between Comrade Sotelato and the Premiership is Lucita Azaro, the RNC candidate.
She even changed her haircut for give a gentlier look. She will need more than that to win though...
So it's my second run I've become one of the world's largest energy exporter have large amounts of budget and energy fixed the housing crisis been consistent in pro business decisions but it only says rise in private industry as a yellow ice even invested into timber and pharmaceutical industries and I also have a good tourism and wine industry
Saltana's haircut always gave me that fluffy vibe.
Another bridge-ish eyeglasses
Anyway, biscuit time (without tea?)
Long live the All-Galmish Extraordinary Commission
I know the man has the warmest smile for his family only
I will NOT comment about the eyeglasses
Also: Big and round-ish ear alert!
>In his conduct of the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Sordland, Orso Hawker, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Sordland and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Sordland, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of the Sordish citizens, contravened the laws governing agencies of the executive and the purposes of these agencies, has failed without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Grand National Assembly State Finances and Fund Accountability Committee and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas, conspired against the Republic of Sordland and the Sordish people.
GNA Impeachment Resolution Against Chief Justice Orso Hawker, 1959
It looked like that the ACP wasn't alone investigating the Old Guard. The following week after President Rayne created the ACP, the Lachaven Times resistered a record of newspapers sold as two of its editors published the following article on the frontpage.
I stared at the Times before the voice of the food vendor got me back to reality.
"Hey, you want this hot dog or not?!"
The man was left hanging with his arm extended with the hot dog
I blinked before I picked the newspaper. In the end, I bought both the hotdog and the Times.
The moment immediatly after I gave the paper to Mrs. Morgna, a furious "WHAT?!" echoed trough the entire Ministry.
"The Anti-Corruption Police", continued the article, "Found that Adenoid Olken, Head of the "Internal Disciplinary Committee" of the Young Sords, paid a SR 25.000 check to the recently acquitted Lucian Lapi, accused of being an accomplice in the murder of Bernard Circas. Government's sources revealed that Olken was a former SID agent before joining the nationalist organization."
Mrs. Morgna was tapping her fingers on her desk as Willem entered the office.
"We have someone leaking to press...", she glanced at me, "And I think it's your informant... Mr. Greiser..."
"Y-you think it's her, madam minister?", I was too not sure if I could trust "Robin" if she was revealing the investigation's informations to the press.
"I talked with the others, they swore that they didn't talk to the press", said Willem
Mrs. Morgna rolled her eyes
"Of course they would say this..."
She exhaled
"Anyway, now we have far more important matter. Everything ready for the interrogation?"
Willem nodded
"Yes, Mr. Olken should be arrive now..."
Leaving the press leak aside, there was something that wasn't working in this payment by Olken to Lapi. Checking to the bank where Olken deposited his money, the Estord Bank, it was verified that those 25.000 Sordish Rens were added the same day of Lapi's acquittal. Asking to the bank staff, they told that Olken walked in the bank with a suitacase and, revealing 25.000 Sordish Rens, he asked to the director to convert the cash in a check for Lapi. Now, the problem is:Where did found all those money? Not from his deposit in Estord, that's certain. But then, who gave him those money? In fact, there was no source of those 25.000 Sordish Rens.
He was a tall man, even taller then Willem, Mr. Olken walked in the ACP HQ with his lawyer, Mr. Danziger, significantly shorter than his client. I noticed he arrived late and was brought by a cab.
Two of my men would conduct the interrogation, of course it was recorded.
Where di you found 25.000 Sordish Rens?
>D: "My client doesn't have to answer those questio-"
Olken gestured to the lawyer to let him speak
>O: "I took the money from a fund."
And that's how we discovered the "Lespian fund" and the "Lespian Money Laundering".
Several weeks before the GNA vote for the Campaign Finance Bill, later vetoed by the President, Olken made a tour across the entire country to gain the last finances for the NFP. It was a "favor", Olken told us, to Mr. Kiberner who was his old friend.
Olken toured across the country. If some hesitant USP and PFJP voters were reluctant, he assured them that the source of those finances would be kept anonymous, trough sending the financement to a lespian "friend" he knew in Perla, who couldn't be prosecuted by any Sordish judge. Thanks to this system, Olken (in practice a secret treasurer for the NFP although "only" a member of the Young Sords) could finance the NFP trough anonymous sources (the Campaign Finance Bill would've made this system risky, as the public fund wouldve been so big that any more money would've raised eyebrows, along the fact that those anonymous sources would've been made illegal by the bill). They were CEOs and Union Leaders who were having problems with the government's agencies, lobbying groups, the Koranelli and Skinner cartels.
To protect those eager financiers - be it checks or bonds - the money would've ransferred to Lespia, converted in cash in the "Banchea Lespia" trough the deposit of this Lespian friend who apparently doesn't have any business with the NFP, and then sent back to Sordland. All the paperwork necessary for this money laundering was under several individuals "protection".
Olken didn't hesitate to remind to the reluctant financiers about the possibility of a "visit" from the police, and their hesitation always disappeared instantly.
Now the two officer interrupted him
Who are those people who "protect" this fund?
>"I*-*I can not tell..."
There was no way for us make him talk about the name. But at least we got the idea of the amount of money in this "Lespian fund"
>One million
I remember I turned to Willem when we heard the number, his eyes were wide open in astonishment
Those people protecting the fund, do they use the money too?
>"Yes... Although I don't know what they do with that money..."
We couldn't get more information from Olken. He looked like scared of talking.
"One million of Sordish Ren...", murmured Willem, "All that money for what...?"
"I don't know... In the meantime, we should prepare for tomorrow's meeting with those two editors of the Lachaven Times... Mrs. Morgna will not be diplomatic, that's sure...", I said before we returned to work.
Thanks to the phone bugging we did in Olken's house while he was interrogated, we heard an interesting conversation with his former employer, a realtor. The realtor asked him about the fine to pay for the car crash he had while coming for the interrogation.
>R: "But what you think about the car crash? I mean, you crashed with a supercar..."
>O: "I am not worried... They will worry about the money..."
>R: "They? Who are you talking about...?"
>O: "I can't tell you."
"Your Majesty:
I hereby resign the Office of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Rizia.
Sincerely,
Daria de Rava"
"If politics are fights between Markian gladiators, De Rava is the lioness. She rips her enemies apart, and her enemies are everyone, everywhere.
The Azaros, who keep bitching about the loss of the control on the military, the Sazons and their hypocrite reformist crusade, the Toras, yes, even the Nur damned Toras and their arrogant taken-for-granted attitude, the traitor's son. And the so called Intermerkopum allies, the Socialist Saltana, the Derdian golcondist cave man...
They always kicked her down, but she always clawed back, just for one more opportunity to shred them limb from limb.
The reconstruction after the War of Succession, the Porte Drazon New Town business district, the paranoid Valero, the Stagnation period, damned King Romus's reformism, the constitutional reforms. De Rava and her family have overcome them all.
Since Reconstruction, the De Ravas knew humiliation. The nobilty who looked down on them (but who helped reconstructing Rizia while they were drinking the damned Qalus wine? Assholes), the other business families who wouldn't hesitate to trick them... And then the RNC right and moderate wing, both dangerous to De Rava's centrist wing, and ready to jump on her.
Daria especially felt that humiliation, a puppet of the monarch who do whatever he wants. The newcomer treatment, the feudalism and the nobles private armies, their blinded conservatorism, hell, not even conservatism, better say regressivism. Are they loyal to themselves, or to Rizia?
Double-crossed by the King's sudden reform in late 50's. Now that she's Prime Minister, she faces old and new enemies.
The press, the left wing columnists of the Voice of Rizia, but even the damned Royal Herald (if the former Grand Vizier wrote the articles himself there would be no difference).
Once again the kid Manus Sazon, whose crusade brought the malenyevists in the House.
The Adarfo guy and his gang, a malenyevist in reformist's clothing.
The Golcondists punch men.
The Wruhecists bigots.
The Su Omina racist mob and their leader, the idiot King's cousin.
The RNC wings.
ATO and CSP.
Intermerkopum allies.
The nobles who keeps with their shady schemes, the bastards need to know when to stop, damnit.
And the King himself, with his immediatism opinion that no one care about, audiences with him are a pain in the ass.
De Rava hates all of them, each with different degrees, and they are her enemies, somehow.
That's the right word, enemies. And she will do all she can to teach them a lesson, channeling all that hate fueled by the common Rizian citizens. The Silent Majority against the "Enemy"."
Inspired by a non-heated exchange of words with u/RobinBobbin555 on a Nixon-ish Daria De Rava
>I might sound naive, but it's my personal conviction that power must not mix with what I call "money anxiety"
Nia Morgna, Ministry of Justice (1954-1962)
I still remember the first time I met the Ministry of Justice Nia Morgna. I was offered a lift by Willem as he was going to pick her mother-in-law at the Holsord Airport. We were talking about Robin, the informant, and the things I discovered digging as a "private citizen", and asking to the colleagues that investigated the Circas Case.
"What you mean ADENOID OLKEN?!", he said shocked as I told him the name
"I am not joking", I shook my head, "I am telling you that the SR 25.000 check that Lucian Lapi received after his acquittal came from Adenoid Olken..."
Adenoid Olken was the Head of the "Internal Disciplinary Committee" of the nationalist organization The Young Sords. In the immediate aftermath of Circas death, Olken issued a statement saying: "Our organization is a cultural organization only, which only responds to lefitst attacks. In no way we support such disgraceful acts. When there is death, there is nothing to be happy about... Even when it's a malenyevist's death. If someone in the organization helped this lone wolf, I assure you, we will denounce him, or her, to the proper authorities.". Of course, the internal investigation done by Olken in the Young Sords staff didn't find anything. But the contradiction remained. The allegedly accomplice of the gunman received money from the same man that assured transparency in the internal investigation.
"Looks like hush money to me, sir...", said Willem
"To you, to me, and to the officer who were assigned to the investigation... I talked with some of my academy's colleagues who were assigned to Mrs. Graf's Task Force, they complained that they literally did nothing... All the investigation was made by the SID, which then passed the results to them. The last word was Graf's, who told them what trail was worth to follow", I turned to him meaningfully, "And guess what was the trail she chose...?"
Schmidt chuckled dryly
"Something tells me you are going to say "lone wolf"..."
I nodded
"They told me that she never bothered to look into the other reports, the moment she had reports about a possible lone wolf, she'd told them to ignore the other options... The meeting the gunman had with other Young Sord members the previous day, before Circas death, was never explored further... But I managed to get the information that the accomplice Lucian Lapi indeed was along other members of the Young Sords that night..."
Willem nodded, then blinked
"How you got that information, if I can ask you, sir?"
I cleared my throat
"Well, remember last week control on that bar? After the reports of them serving minors, I talked with the bartender while you and the other were inspecting the place. I showed him the photo of the gunman and Lapi. He confirmed that they were the Young Sords members who met there..."
We arrived at the Ministry of Justice. Before I got off the car, I looked at Willem
"Hey, about what I told you..."
"It's okay, sir... What you told me in the car stays in the car..."
He gave me a little smile before he left, driving for the airport to pick his mother-in-law he coudn't stand for.
The Minister of Justice's office was located at the third floor of the building, which was relatively small compared to others state building like the Maroon Palace, the Ministry of Interior, or the Ministry of Defense. I entered Miss. Morgna's office, she was in the middle of the call with the Ministry of Education.
"Well, Ciara, you know that the Benfi Festival is Leste's place... It's no wonder the President said no to the First Lady..."
She gave me an apologizing look and gestured me to take the seat across her. I seated and, damn, it was the most uncomfortable seat I ever seated in.
Meanwhile the conversation between Miss. Morgna and the Ministry of Education continued.
"Look at the bright side, Ciara, the President defended her from Curtan's attacks... It means that what Mrs. Rayne told you at the Sordish League of Women about her husband's support is true."
She eyed me as I took an interest to the view trough the window.
"Listen, I have someone here in my office I need to talk to... What about we talk about it later...?"
She leaned back, something that Miss. Walda said made her blush.
"Yes... See you later..."
After she hang up the phone, she cleared her throat
"Sorry to make you wait, Mr. Greiser... Some exchange of opinons with my Education colleague..."
I nodded understandingly
"It's okay, madam Minister..."
She straightened herself on the chair
"I talked with the President. And he authorized me to found a new police department. To be more precise, a finance policing department."
I nodded, a silent invitation to her to continue
"I checked several officer's backgrounds... And well...", she paused, "I think you are the best officer that could lead the new department."
I smiled politely
"Miss Morgna, I am honored to be kept in such consideration. If you think I am the man for the job, as a servant of Sordland, I accep."
Her eyes brightened.
"Happy to hear that, Mr. Greiser! Now, the staff from this new police will be from the general police service, the Ministry of Justice itself, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation. The Revenue and Taxes Department of the Ministry of Finance will transfer some of its officials too."
I hummed
"Looks like you had this idea since a long time, madam Minister..."
She smiled
"Since I was Vice Minister of Law, in 1949... Alphonso refused this idea, I might have a few ideas why..."
She shook her head
"But anyway... The Police will probe state officials, police officers..."
She looked at me to catch my reaction. I nodded
"Our current laws permit it, so it's not a problem..."
She chuckled dryly
"In other times I would want to modify the law, but in this case I might make to an exception..."
"Especially if there are bigger forces in motion..."
I let those words spill out from my mouth unconsciously. She blinked.
"What you mean by that?"
I damned my mouth, should I've tell her what I discovered on the Circas case? Was she a member of the so-called Old Guard?
In the end I told her about the SR 25.000 check with Olkner's name on it, and about the meeitng between the Lapi and the gunman, along the converations I had with the officers of Graf's Task Force.
"This is worrying... It means we can't trust almost no one..."
She took a deep breath
"Mr. Greiser, I advise you to take caution... Even in our future investigations..."
I nodded
"Yes, Miss. Morgna"
She exhaled
"If what you are saying it's true, I would suggest you to tell what you told me to the President in tomorrow's meeting with him."
I nodded.
We shook our hands before I left the Minister's office.
After the following day's meeting in which President Rayne authorized the "investigation for any state officials irregularities", ie the investigation on the so-called Old Guard, the switchboard noticed a lot of phone calls between Hawker's house, Duru Island, and Graf's house in Arvory.
Prologue: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/XnmbQGDnm8
Chapter 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/Qsx0v3sgsl
Chapter 1.5: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/XNRYoGC4FU
All the Colonel's Men, by Karl Greiser
Prologue: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/KEKYsVKWfs
Chapter 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/CugApbS1pU
Chapter 1.5: https://www.reddit.com/r/suzerain/s/EJPitWzgdX
Was reading "Product Red" "Wikipedia" page and found this.
