“The collapse of the spy career”: Oleg Penkovsky
Part II
On April 18, 1963, the central Soviet newspapers published a message about the end of the investigation in the Penkovsky case, and the first court session was held on May 7. A citizen of Great Britain Grevill Vinn turned out to be in the dock with him:
“The indictment has been read. After the break, the interrogation of the defendants began. The first to interrogate Penkovsky. He stands behind the barrier, resting on it with both hands, and tells the court in detail about meetings with Vinn, the briefing that he received from his owners, demonstrates to the court how he used spy technology.
“Therefore,” the prosecutor asks, “are you an agent of two intelligence?”
“Yes,” says Penkovsky, “I did not make a choice and worked simultaneously for English and American intelligence.”
During the interrogation, it turns out that the spy established the connection with its owners with the help of Winn. They have known each other since December 1960, when the English businessman came with a delegation to Moscow. On his next visit, in April 1961, Penkovsky very often met with him, “under the pretext of attention to the guest of our country,” as he put it. Vinna visited the hotel, invited him to restaurants, drove to the ballet to the Bolshoi Theater, and meanwhile they felt each other, carefully sniffed. And sniffed ”(Izvestia, May 8, 1963)
“Prosecutor: – In addition to meeting with scouts in Paris, where did you go with Greville Winn?
Penkovsky – with Greville Winn, we went to Versailles, Fontainebleau. In Paris were in restaurants, nightclubs “Moulin Rouge” and “Lido”, in a cafe.
Prosecutor: – Who paid for expenses during visits to cafes, restaurants, entertainment places?
Penkovsky – Grevill Vinn paid for all dinners.
Prosecutor: – Defendant Vini, did you pay for Penkovsky’s expenses in Paris?
Vinn: – Yes.
Prosecutor: – Who compensated you for these expenses?
Vinn: – American intelligence …
Prosecutor: – the defendant Penkovsky, at the previous meeting, answering my and presiding courts, you admitted the grown crimes before the Motherland and at the same time, responding to a lawyer, swore love for the Fatherland. How can you combine love for the homeland and betrayal of its interests?
Penkovsky: – How to combine all this? It’s not clear to me myself. I am not making excuses. … I rolled into the abyss and became a villain for various reasons … The reasons for these rebirths …
Prosecutor: – From what period do you consider yourself a rebirth?
Penkovsky: – completely – from April 1961.
Prosecutor: – And therefore, you took the path of treason and betrayal of the Motherland?
Penkovsky: – Degrading and falling down, I transferred my personal, career interests, and transferred my dissatisfaction with the authorities to the interests of the Motherland. In this I consider myself a big criminal “
(Izvestia, May 9, 1963)
On May 11, the court made a decision on the case. Penkovsky was sentenced to death, and Vinn to eight years in prison. There is a version that Penkovsky was not shot, but burned alive. This process was recorded on the film, which was subsequently demonstrated by the employees of the Soviet intelligence services for intimidation. This story was described in the Aquarium Viktor Rezun-Suvorov (without indicating Penkovsky), but there is no evidence of this episode. And Greville Winn in 1964 was exchanged for the Soviet intelligence officer Konon Young.
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