in the 1980s, akhmetov acted as an assistant to akhat bragin, whom law enforcement agencies regarded as a powerful crime boss; allegedly in the illegal cloth trading business. andrew wilson, a scholar specializing in ukrainian politics, categorized akhmetov as an alleged former 'enforcer' and 'leader' of "[akhat] bragin's 'tatar' clan", responsible for the use of "mafia methods to push aside the 'red directors' of the [industrial union of the donbass] (iud)". by the early 1990s, akhmetov began acquiring property in donetsk allegedly by means of extortion with the assistance of volodymyr malyshev, lieutenant-general of the head of ministry of internal affairs department in donetsk oblast. malyshev, now a member of ukraine's parliament on the committee controlling law enforcement, is accused by kuzin of using his position to do away with previously existing police records concerning akhmetov shortly before becoming chief of security for akhmetov's company. "in [the 1990s], akhmetov was very different – he was totally private with no public persona, and was trying to find ways to deal with his 'difficult past'", noted u.s. ambassador william taylor, citing prominent ukrainian businessman serhiy taruta. further in that article cited the answer of the spokesperson for akhmetov addressed to the kyiv post: "we don't know whether this phrase is authentic and what it actually means. although, any accusations of mr akhmetov's involvement in criminal structures is slander."