▁the ▁Ba ikal - Am ur ▁Main line ▁construction ▁and ▁diam ond ▁pipe ▁opening . ▁He ▁was ▁constantly ▁at ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁important ▁polit ic ▁events ▁of ▁those ▁years ▁– ▁in ▁Afghan istan , ▁Franco ist ▁Spain , ▁Chile , ▁Cuba , ▁Par agu ay , ▁trac ing ▁the ▁Naz i , ▁who ▁sought ▁cover ▁from ▁pun ishment , ▁and ▁Sic ilian ▁ma f ia ▁leaders ; ▁taking ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁combat ant ▁operations ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ese ▁and ▁La ot ian ▁part is ans . ▁ ▁S emy on ov ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁of ▁" Inv estig ative ▁journal ism " ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁period ical s . ▁Thus , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁in ▁Madrid ▁he ▁managed ▁to ▁interview ▁a ▁Naz i ▁criminal , ▁the ▁favour ite ▁of ▁Hitler ▁Otto ▁Sk or zen y , ▁who ▁categor ically ▁refused ▁to ▁meet ▁any ▁journalist ▁before . ▁Then , ▁being ▁the ▁" Liter at urn aya ▁Gaz eta " ▁newspaper ▁correspond ent ▁in ▁Germany , ▁the ▁writer ▁succeeded ▁in ▁interview ing ▁the ▁re ich s minister ▁Albert ▁Spe er ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁SS ▁leaders ▁Karl ▁Wol ff . ▁ ▁The ▁convers ations ▁with ▁such ▁people , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁holding ▁the ▁investigation ▁regarding ▁the ▁searches ▁for ▁the ▁Am ber ▁Room ▁and ▁other ▁cultural ▁values ▁moved ▁abroad ▁from ▁Russia ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁were ▁published ▁by ▁S emy on ov ▁in ▁his ▁document ary ▁story ▁" Face ▁to ▁Face " ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3