Oligarchs London has been a major money laundering for Russian oligarchs – the distribution of “golden visas” costing more than two million was stopped only last week

London

Prime minister Boris Johnson Russia’s sanctions announced on Tuesday have sparked widespread criticism across Britain across party lines. Sanctions are generally considered to be far too lenient and restrictive.

Johnson’s own Conservative MPs have also criticized the level of sanctions.

The irritation has not been alleviated even by the fact that, according to the British Foreign Office, more sanctions are coming. The new sanctions may affect, among other things, the Russian financial sector and trade.

Johnson confirmed in the lower house on Wednesday that sanctions will be tightened. Among other things, Britain plans to block the activities of Russian companies and individuals in the British financial markets.

Critics at the same time, the gaze has turned to Britain’s own actions as an enabler of Russian monetary-rich actions: The door to Russian oligarchs in Britain remained open for years. The origins of the money did not begin to be properly explored until 2018.

“We should not wait for Russia to attack others before we start cleaning up corruption in our own country. Sanctions must be clear and strong, ”Conservative chair of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat announced.

Britannian the Ministry of the Interior stopped the issuance of so-called “golden visas”, ie investor visas, to rich foreigners as recently as last week. The reasons cited included security threats and the links of the illicitly enriched to corruption.

Part rich foreigners have also enjoyed close ties with the British political elite.

Group Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Ian Blackford in the lower house on Wednesday accused the Johnson Conservative Party of taking more than £ 2 million in funding from the Russian oligarchs.

“It is very important for the House of Commons to understand that we are not collecting money from the Russian oligarchs… We are collecting money from those who are allowed to vote in Britain,” Johnson replied.

By this, the Prime Minister pointed out that British parties are not allowed to take money from abroad. Instead, it is legal to take election funding from people with British citizenship – even if they originally came from Russia, for example.

Money from the ecclesiastes has been raised, among other things, by trading dinners, lunches and tennis matches with British politicians.

Read more: A tour of London takes you to the oligarchs’ luxury homes: Upper-rich Russians even pay to get close to British politics

Johnson said as early as Tuesday in the lower house, the targets of the first group of sanctions are five Russian banks as well as three oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin. The funds will be frozen and a travel ban will take effect.

The oligarchs targeted by the sanctions are Boris and Igor Rotenberg mixed Gennady Tymoshenko. Among them, Boris Rotenberg and Timtšenko also have Finnish citizenship. According to the British administration, Tymoshenko also has Armenian citizenship.

In addition to politicians, the narrow scope of sanctions was also criticized by experts.

“The latest sanctions package is not enough: three Russians are targeted, while an investor visa has been issued [Britannian toimesta] To 2,581 Russian citizens since 2008, ”Program Director for Russia and Eurasia at the prestigious London Chatham House James Nixey said on Tuesday through the think tank press office.

Britannian According to the Foreign Ministry, Tymoshenko is one of Russia’s most influential figures and has a close relationship with the President. Vladimir Putin.

Tymoshenko has the sixth richest man in Russia. His assets are estimated at around € 17 billion. Bloombergin by the value of the property has shrunk this year.

According to the British Foreign Office, Tymoshenko is the founder of the Volga Group, an investment company registered in Luxembourg. The company specializes in energy, transportation and other infrastructure.

Tymoshenko also owns a 40-meter M / S Lena yacht named after his wife, as well as shares in several Russian companies such as the Novatek gas company and the Sibur oil refining company, the British ministry said.

Boris Rotenberg is described by the British Foreign Office as a former judo teacher and Putin’s training buddy who grew up with his brother and Putin in the St. Petersburg area.

According to the ministry, Boris Rotenberg, a member of the billionaire club, owns Arcadewith its brother, the SGM Group, which supplies gas pipelines, among other things.

Arkady Rotenberg’s son, Igor Rotenberg, is described by the British Foreign Office as a Russian billionaire who owns Gazprom Burenie and is close to Putin.

The sanctions imposed by Britain also include members of the Russian Duma who voted in favor of recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk.

Britannian foreign minister Liz Truss assured as early as Tuesday that there will be more sanctions if Russia does not withdraw.

“We intend to make it more difficult for the Russian state and Russian companies to raise funds from our markets, ban high-tech exports and continue to isolate Russian banks from the international economy,” Truss said.

On Wednesday, Truss reiterated Britain’s promise to guarantee Ukraine up to $ 500 million in loans to alleviate the economic damage caused by Russia’s aggression. Additional sanctions against Russia may be promised in the coming days, according to British media.

However, a hot question in British domestic politics is how the activities of oligarchs who have already emigrated can be controlled or restricted.

Golden visas have guaranteed quick entry and a residence permit to the UK if the entrant has had to invest £ 2m, or around € 2.4m. He has been allowed to take the family with him.

The golden visa has also been a gateway to British citizenship. And if there has been even more money, the treatment has been even better.

The road to Britain along the golden investor visas was closed last Thursday, 17 February at 4pm UK time.

The system was opened in 2008 when the Labor Party was in charge of government and there was a desire to attract more international investment to Britain, which was chastised by the financial crisis.

However, only Russian oligarchs have not benefited from golden visas. Wealthy foreigners have also moved to Britain with investor visas from China, the United States, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, among others.

By Until 2015, the origin of migrants’ funds was hardly checked in any way. Even the banks saw no reason for the reason, as the authorities had already issued visas to newcomers.

Labor MP Margaret Hodge estimates two years ago, at least £ 70 billion in Russian money was laundered in Britain between 2010 and 2020

Hodge joined British sanctions reviewers on Tuesday.

“The kleptocrats who stole from the Russian people and supported Putin will not be caught,” Hodge said in the lower house.

Kleptocracy means power-over, that is, an administration in which those in power seize state property for themselves and their loved ones.

Also Labor Foreign Affairs Officer (i.e. counterpart of Foreign Minister Liz Truss in opposition) David Lammy criticized the sanctions.

“We can’t afford to wait for Putin’s next move,” Lammy tweeted.

He called for a ban on Russia Today, among other things. The propaganda channel now known as the RT channel is close to the Russian regime.

Lammy also demanded a register of foreign-owned British properties. The current British registries may not reveal the rightful owner of the property, which in turn makes money laundering easier.

Wednesday afternoon according to media reports, the British Minister for Culture Nadine Dorries has already called on Ofcom, the communications regulator, to take the necessary action against RT.

Johnson confirmed the information at a prime minister’s question time on Wednesday. The RT channel may now be at risk of losing its license.

“We live in a democracy and a country that believes in freedom of expression. That’s why it’s important for Ofcom to decide, not politicians, ”Johnson said in the House of Commons.