TALLINN — It appears the Tallinn municipal government has been caught with its pants down when it said in January that the U.S. government guaranteed a 2.8 billion krooni (€178.9 million) loan to renovate the Tallinn concert hall, when the Americans in fact did not.
The U.S. company Tallinn Entertainment LLC has been tasked by the Tallinn municipal government with renovating the Linnahall, a Soviet-era cultural building that's currently in a state of decay and covered in graffiti such as this.
Tallinn municipal government announced on Jan. 26 that Tallinn Entertainment LLC, a U.S. Investment company registered in Delaware had received a guarantee from the U.S. government to cover its investment to renovate the Linnahall concert hall in Tallinn, if the Estonian government also gave its [private_supervisor]agreement. However, the American government denies making such deal.
“Therefore we can say that we’ve found the money to turn the cultural building into an entertainment, conference and fair center,“ said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Taavi Aas back in January. “Even more than that, the credit that the U.S. Government guaranteed is enough for investments to several projects.”
However, the U.S. Embassy said that no guarantee exist.
“The U.S. Government did not give any guarantees to any projects in Tallinn, but if there will be a project like that, then we will do everything to help,” James Land, press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn told Eesti Päevaleht.
Aas admitted Wednesday at a combative press conference that no guarantees exist.
“If the city is trying to improve something, then people are desperately trying to prove that everything is a lie,” Aas said.
Keit Pentus, Reform Party member, said that this kind of incident is shameful and bad for the municipal government’s reputation.
“Lying about the American government is embarrassing and the Tallinn municipal government should apologize to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn,” Pentus told Baltic Reports.
Pentus insisted that all the details concerning the concert hall should be disclosed from now on.
Tallinn municipal government tasked the renovation of the concert hall to the Tallinn Entertainment LLC in April 2009. The investment company was established in 2007 in the state of Delaware, and is equally owned by RSL Capital (itself owned by American billionaire Ronald S. Lauder), GF Capital Management Advisers and Remi International.
Delaware is infamous for its laws allowing companies to operate in an opaque fashion. Half of U.S. quoted companies and many private equity firms are registered there.
[/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]agreement. However, the American government denies making such deal.
“Therefore we can say that we’ve found the money to turn the cultural building into an entertainment, conference and fair center,“ said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Taavi Aas back in January. “Even more than that, the credit that the U.S. Government guaranteed is enough for investments to several projects.”
However, the U.S. Embassy said that no guarantee exist.
“The U.S. Government did not give any guarantees to any projects in Tallinn, but if there will be a project like that, then we will do everything to help,” James Land, press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn told Eesti Päevaleht.
Aas admitted Wednesday at a combative press conference that no guarantees exist.
“If the city is trying to improve something, then people are desperately trying to prove that everything is a lie,” Aas said.
Keit Pentus, Reform Party member, said that this kind of incident is shameful and bad for the municipal government’s reputation.
“Lying about the American government is embarrassing and the Tallinn municipal government should apologize to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn,” Pentus told Baltic Reports.
Pentus insisted that all the details concerning the concert hall should be disclosed from now on.
Tallinn municipal government tasked the renovation of the concert hall to the Tallinn Entertainment LLC in April 2009. The investment company was established in 2007 in the state of Delaware, and is equally owned by RSL Capital (itself owned by American billionaire Ronald S. Lauder), GF Capital Management Advisers and Remi International.
Delaware is infamous for its laws allowing companies to operate in an opaque fashion. Half of U.S. quoted companies and many private equity firms are registered there.[/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]agreement. However, the American government denies making such deal.
“Therefore we can say that we’ve found the money to turn the cultural building into an entertainment, conference and fair center,“ said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Taavi Aas back in January. “Even more than that, the credit that the U.S. Government guaranteed is enough for investments to several projects.”
However, the U.S. Embassy said that no guarantee exist.
“The U.S. Government did not give any guarantees to any projects in Tallinn, but if there will be a project like that, then we will do everything to help,” James Land, press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn told Eesti Päevaleht.
Aas admitted Wednesday at a combative press conference that no guarantees exist.
“If the city is trying to improve something, then people are desperately trying to prove that everything is a lie,” Aas said.
Keit Pentus, Reform Party member, said that this kind of incident is shameful and bad for the municipal government’s reputation.
“Lying about the American government is embarrassing and the Tallinn municipal government should apologize to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn,” Pentus told Baltic Reports.
Pentus insisted that all the details concerning the concert hall should be disclosed from now on.
Tallinn municipal government tasked the renovation of the concert hall to the Tallinn Entertainment LLC in April 2009. The investment company was established in 2007 in the state of Delaware, and is equally owned by RSL Capital (itself owned by American billionaire Ronald S. Lauder), GF Capital Management Advisers and Remi International.
Delaware is infamous for its laws allowing companies to operate in an opaque fashion. Half of U.S. quoted companies and many private equity firms are registered there.[/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]agreement. However, the American government denies making such deal.
“Therefore we can say that we’ve found the money to turn the cultural building into an entertainment, conference and fair center,“ said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Taavi Aas back in January. “Even more than that, the credit that the U.S. Government guaranteed is enough for investments to several projects.”
However, the U.S. Embassy said that no guarantee exist.
“The U.S. Government did not give any guarantees to any projects in Tallinn, but if there will be a project like that, then we will do everything to help,” James Land, press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn told Eesti Päevaleht.
Aas admitted Wednesday at a combative press conference that no guarantees exist.
“If the city is trying to improve something, then people are desperately trying to prove that everything is a lie,” Aas said.
Keit Pentus, Reform Party member, said that this kind of incident is shameful and bad for the municipal government’s reputation.
“Lying about the American government is embarrassing and the Tallinn municipal government should apologize to the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn,” Pentus told Baltic Reports.
Pentus insisted that all the details concerning the concert hall should be disclosed from now on.
Tallinn municipal government tasked the renovation of the concert hall to the Tallinn Entertainment LLC in April 2009. The investment company was established in 2007 in the state of Delaware, and is equally owned by RSL Capital (itself owned by American billionaire Ronald S. Lauder), GF Capital Management Advisers and Remi International.
Delaware is infamous for its laws allowing companies to operate in an opaque fashion. Half of U.S. quoted companies and many private equity firms are registered there.[/private_subscription 1 year]
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