Russian political expert: Cash capitals of fugitives from Russia may become a topic for formal negotiations

Jan 15, 2022

Financial regulators should pay more attention to the origin of capitals of entrepreneurs who had fled Russia or other CIS countries”, - said the Russian political expert, Vice-President of the Academy of Real Politics Sergey Solovyov

Moscow, Russia Jan 15, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - "International financial regulators should pay more attention to the origin of capitals of entrepreneurs who had fled Russia or other CIS countries and currently "launder" money through European banks", - said the Russian political expert, Vice-President of the Academy of Real Politics Sergey Solovyov.

"European countries have long been popular among businessmen from Russia and countries of the former USSR, who, having violated the laws of their motherland, flee to Europe with money capitals of questionable origin. This might be one of the issues raised by the leadership of the Russian Federation in frames of negotiations with European colleagues, - stated Vice-President of the Academy of Real Politics Sergey Solovyov. - International financial regulators should pay much attention to the origin of capitals of entrepreneurs who had fled Russia or other CIS countries and currently "launder" money through European banks. In the future, these funds may become a source of problems for the Europeans themselves," - the political expert believes.

As an example, the expert quotes the former head of BTA Bank Mukhtar Ablyazov, who stays in Paris and is currently actively making statements regarding the situation in Kazakhstan. Three countries - Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine - are striving for the extradition of Ablyazov, who has been put on the international wanted list by Interpol. Found guilty of creating and leading a criminal community, misappropriation of funds from BTA Bank, and their illegal legalization, he was sentenced in absentia in these countries to long terms of imprisonment.

The violence taking place in Kazakhstan has been the reason for the Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov to declare himself the protest leader. In this way, Ablyazov actually confirmed the thesis that the riots in Kazakhstan had been inspired from the outside. A very arguable present for the European Union. The Europeans might already be regretting that they had refused to extradite Mukhtar Ablyazov to Kazakhstan, - Sergey Solovyov believes.

The expert also recalls Katerina Bosov, the former head of the Sibanthracite coal holding, which was sold for $ 1 billion. She is involved in two criminal cases and recently left Russia for Europe. After a couple of failed attempts to grab control over the shares Alltek company, which owns the Sibanthracite holding, the fugitive is afraid that her witness status could be switched to suspect one in a criminal case of her ex-husband and coal oligarch Dmitry Bosov suicide.

Members of the Russian parliament have already sent a request to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, in which they said that Katerina Bosov tried to become the sole owner of all the assets of the ex-spouse, pushing out kids from ex-marriage and the elderly parents. The parliamentarians demanded an appropriate investigation.

Katerina Bosov received a share of the ex-oligarch's capital, and moreover, has access to his personal accounts. She has enough qualifications to transfer this money to Europe, where she has a lot of real estates, and then use this money at her own discretion.

"Speaking about Katerina Bosov, Europe may also face many surprises. People, knowing her, characterize Katerina as a woman who always causes problems, "a troublemaker", - the political expert is sure. It is no coincidence that a version is being discussed in Russia that psychological pressure from Katerina Bosov could become one of the reasons for the suicide of the coal oligarch. What is now commonly called abuse turned out to be a crashing test for the businessman who had successfully overpassed tough business conflicts.

The expert believes that Katerina Bosov may try to pose as a "victim of the regime", as did many post-Soviet oligarchs who made money illegally and claim the status of a political refugee. She has extensive connections in the Russian business community and in the political environment, she knows many secrets. These facts may make her "useful" for European politicians.

Meanwhile in Russia it has brewed up to adopt laws that would not allow owners of huge capitals, offending against the law, to easily leave the country. "This is an area in which cooperation between Russia and the European Union will be mutually beneficial. Sooner or later, this issue will be resolved in the interests of both parties", - concluded Sergey Solovyov.