The Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime (OCCRP), together with “Important Stories” and the largest media in the world, began to track the foreign assets of status Russians who were under sanctions
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Western countries imposed sanctions against key figures in the Putin regime, as well as major Russian businessmen close to power. These people, with the help of lawyers and financial advisers, have learned to hide their wealth behind offshore companies, trusts and funds in such a way that even experienced law enforcement officers find it difficult to prove who the ultimate beneficiaries of this property are.
Journalists from 24 media from around the world, including Le Monde (France), The Guardian (UK), Miami Herald (USA), together with the Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime (OCCRP), decided to compile a list of foreign assets of Russian statesmen and oligarchs close to them . We have collected information about their real estate, yachts, aircraft and other property in a public database.
In the first part of the project, we focused on officials, heads of state-owned companies and entrepreneurs close to power who, despite the long-announced “nationalization of the elites” in Russia, acquired property in the West and at the same time supported the Putin regime in Russia.
In the first phase of the project, we collected data on more than 150 assets. Their total value exceeds $17.5 billion. We have included in the list only those cases where the ownership of the assets can be proven using official documents and other reliable sources.
Corrupt politicians and businessmen close to the authorities have taken huge capitals out of Russia and offshore. To find these funds, journalists from OCCRP and other media have studied leaked documents about the owners of offshore companies (for example, the ” Panama Papers ” and ” Pandora Archive “), as well as data from land and corporate registries of different countries. With the help of these documents, we compiled a list of foreign assets of members of the Russian elite who were under sanctions, their relatives and persons close to them.
Some of these assets were already known, some we have only just learned about. We will add new names and update the database regularly .
If you know of assets of Russian officials and government officials that are not on the list, you can report them to us or OCCRP by completing this form. including using a secure communication channel , which will reliably preserve your anonymity.
Yuri Chaika , presidential envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District, former Prosecutor General
Sanctions:
- USA (against his son Artem Chaika) – since December 21, 2017
- Australia – from February 24, 2022,
- Canada – from February 26, 2022
Why on the list
Until 2006, Yuri Chaika was the Minister of Justice, and then until 2020 he served as the Prosecutor General of Russia. As a prosecutor, he oversaw many politically motivated criminal cases.
The eldest son of Chaika Artem also fell under the sanctions . US authorities believe that he used his father’s position in the competition for government contracts. The Alexei Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation discovered the Chaika family’s luxurious real estate abroad.
You can read more about Chaika’s assets here .
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of Vladimir Putin
Sanctions:
- EU – from February 28, 2022
- USA – from March 3, 2022
- Canada – from March 6, 2022
- USA (sanctions against the whole family) – from March 11, 2022
Why on the list
Peskov has been working in the press service of Vladimir Putin in various positions since 2000. In 2012, he became Presidential Press Secretary and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration. Peskov has repeatedly publicly justified the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Peskov came under US sanctions for facilitating a global disinformation campaign by Russia. Later, the US also imposed sanctions on his family for “a luxurious lifestyle that does not correlate with Peskov’s income as a civil servant and is probably provided with illegal income from his connections with Putin.”
You can read more about Peskov’s assets here .
Roman Abramovich, oligarch
Sanctions:
- United Kingdom – from March 10, 2022
- Canada – from March 11, 2022
- Australia – from March 14, 2022
- EU – from March 15, 2022
Why on the list
Since the late 1990s, Abramovich has been a member of the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Abramovich became one of Russia’s richest men, buying up Russian oil assets in privatizations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. From 1999 to 2000 he worked in the State Duma, from 2000 to 2008 Abramovich served as governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. According to the Bloomberg Billionere Index, Abramovich ‘s net worth is estimated at $13.9 billion.
All over the world, Abramovich is known as the owner of the Chelsea football club. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the oligarch announced that he was selling the club. He categorically denies being close to Putin and the Russian government.
What’s new: Previously unknown assets of Abramovich and his family
In 2020, 400 journalists from 90 countries published classified US financial intelligence files – FinCEN. From these files, it became known that, as of 2016, Roman Abramovich is the “sole beneficiary” of a trust registered in Cyprus (HF Trust).
In 2015-2016, HF Trust was the owner of several companies in the British Virgin Islands through which investments were made in hedge funds. The volume of investments for this period was estimated from 892 million dollars to 1.3 billion dollars.
The FinCEN files also revealed that Abramovich was a beneficiary of the Sara Trust in 2016. This trust was the owner of Abramovich’s company Cantley Investments Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands, as well as several other Cypriot companies that were involved in $304 million in suspicious transactions in 2015-2016.
Abramovich’s ex-wife Irina, along with their four children, owns five mansions in Europe. These are three villas in St. Tropez with an area of 13 thousand square meters, as well as a house in Paris on Avenue Gabriel near the Elysee Palace. It was bought in 2009 for 12.4 million euros through SCI Gabriel a Paris. In 2021, Irina Abramovich bought a mansion in London at the Tor Garden residence for £17.5 million ($23 million).
Abramovich’s daughter, at the age of 25, became the owner of a house on the shores of Lake Fuschl in Austria. The total area of this property is 30 thousand square meters. This house was presented to her in 2017 by Gabrielle Claire Pierce, the wife of Eugene Tenebaum, a member of the board of directors of Chelsea.
You can read more about Abramovich’s assets here .
Gennady Timchenko, oligarch
Sanctions:
- USA – since March 20, 2014
- United Kingdom – from February 22, 2022
- EU – from February 28, 2022
Why on the list
Timchenko is a longtime friend of Putin and is considered one of the president’s confidants. Timchenko is ranked sixth on the list of the richest Russians according to Forbes . He is a co-founder of one of the largest oil traders Gunvor, which until recently sold most of the Russian oil. US authorities believe that Vladimir Putin had access to Gunvor funds.
In addition, Timchenko is a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, which the US and EU authorities consider to be the personal bank of Putin and other high-ranking Russian officials. Bank Rossiya is also under sanctions.
You can read more about Timchenko’s assets here .
Igor Shuvalov, head of VEB.RF
Sanctions:
- EU – from February 23, 2022
- United Kingdom – from March 3, 2022
- United States – from March 3, 2022
- Australia – from March 14, 2022
- United Kingdom (sanctions against the whole family) – from March 15, 2022
Why on the list
Since the late 1990s, Shuvalov has held various positions in the Russian government, including being an aide to Vladimir Putin. In 2008, Shuvalov was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister. He remained in this post for ten years, and then left the government and headed the state-owned Vnesheconombank (VEB.RF).
The media have repeatedly reported on Shuvalov’s personal wealth and offshore, as well as on the extravagant lifestyle of his family. According to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, Shuvalov “played an important role in spreading systemic state corruption that engulfed all the country’s institutions.”
What’s New: Villa in Tuscany
Shuvalov’s son Evgeny could own a villa and a plot of land in Italian Tuscany. The value of this property is unknown.
Until 2017, the villa was owned by the Weitried company, owned by a company from the British Virgin Islands, which in turn was owned by Shuvalov Jr. At that time he was only 24 years old.
The current owner of the villa is unknown, but a private jet owned by a company linked to Shuvalov recently flew to airports near Tuscany. This may indicate that the Shuvalov family continues to use the villa.
You can read more about Shuvalov’s assets here .
Alisher Usmanov, oligarch
Sanctions:
- EU – from February 28, 2022
- United Kingdom – from March 3, 2022
- United States – from March 3, 2022
Why on the list
The US and EU authorities believe that Alisher Usmanov is closely connected with the Russian authorities. As Alexei Navalny’s FBK reported , former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev personally used Usmanov’s luxurious residences.
Several US senators have urged the administration of former President Donald Trump to include Usmanov in a report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. They said that Usmanov is “one of the most politically influential oligarchs in Russia and is closely connected to the Kremlin.”
Through the USM Group holding, Usmanov manages projects in the field of telecommunications, media and mining.
A spokesman for Usmanov told OCCRP that he never benefited from either the Russian government or the privatization of state property: he made his fortune solely through transparent investment and asset management.
The representative of the businessman added that the ownership of most of the real estate and property has long been transferred to the Usmanov family, and he can only use these assets on a lease basis.
What’s new: Nephews own millions of dollars worth of London mansions
The nephew of USM holding owner Alisher Usmanov Sarvar Ismailov owns a mansion in London on Danewood Drive for $30.8 million. Ismailov is now no more than 30 years old. His brother Sanjar Ismailov owns a $28.6 million mansion on Winnington Road.
Usmanov’s representative denies that the businessman’s nephews bought the mansions with his money. However, he confirmed that Usmanov transfers money to their mother, his sister Gulbahor, and she could give money to her sons.
Gulbahor Ismailova herself, through a chain of Croatian and Cypriot companies, owns two houses and a land plot with a forest on the Peljesac Peninsula in Croatia with a total area of 22.5 thousand square meters. The approximate value of this property is $5.6 million. Ismailova also owns an apartment in Jurmala worth $620,500.
You can read more about Usmanov’s assets here .
Igor Sechin, head of the state company Rosneft
Sanctions:
- USA – from February 24, 2022
- EU – from February 28, 2022
- United Kingdom – from March 10, 2022
Why on the list
Igor Sechin is one of the most influential people in Russia. For many years he worked as an assistant to Vladimir Putin. In 2008, Sechin became Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, a position held by Vladimir Putin at the time.
Since 2012, Sechin has been head of Rosneft, Russia’s main state oil company.
You can read more about Sechin’s assets here .
Nikolai Tokarev, President of Transneft
Sanctions:
- EU – from February 28, 2022
- United States – from March 3, 2022
- United Kingdom – from March 10, 2022
- Australia – from March 14, 2022
Why on the list
Tokarev is a retired KGB major general and a longtime associate of Vladimir Putin who became close during the 1980s while serving together in Dresden.
In 2007, Tokarev headed one of Russia’s most important state-owned companies, Transneft, which transports 82% of the country’s oil production. His relatives own real estate in Russia and Europe.
What’s New: House in Croatia Owned by Daughter
Since 2021, the daughter of Transneft President Nikolay Tokarev , Maya Bolotova , has owned the Croatian company TGA, which in turn owns a 272-square-meter house on the island of Lošinj in Croatia. The company bought this house in 2010, when Tokarev’s wife Galina was the owner of the company. Financial documents show that the cost of the house as of 2020 is about 670 thousand dollars.
You can read more about Tokarev’s assets here .
Oleg Deripaska, oligarch
Sanctions:
- United States – from April 6, 2018
- Canada – from March 6, 2022
- United Kingdom – from March 10, 2022
Why on the list
Deripaska is an aluminum magnate and a longtime supporter of Vladimir Putin. A spokesman for Deripaska told OCCRP that he had never been involved in illegal fraud, that he acquired all the assets with hard-earned money and was the victim of a purely politically motivated witch hunt.
What’s new: three villas and commercial property in Sardinia
In 2016, Oleg Deripaska purchased real estate in Cyprus in order to obtain citizenship of the country: a villa on the island of Paphos worth $650,000 and a commercial facility in Limassol worth $3 million. Deripaska also has commercial property in Luxembourg.
We also discovered that Deripaska has three villas in Sardinia on the Costa Smeralda, which he owns through a chain of companies, including from the British Virgin Islands. Their total cost is almost 410 million dollars.
Deripaska’s ex-wife Polina Yumasheva owns a stake in London-based marketing firm Buro.Global, which targets “wealthy millennials.”
You can read more about Deripaska’s assets here .
Denis Popov, Moscow prosecutor
Why on the list
Before Vladimir Putin appointed Popov as the prosecutor of Moscow in 2019, he worked as the prosecutor of the Republic of Dagestan. Two years later, Putin awarded him the Order of Honor for strengthening the rule of law in Russia.
In 2019, an article was published on Navalny’s website , which stated that Popov “personally initiates lawsuits against oppositionists in the interests of the National Guard. The Moscow prosecutor’s office plays a crucial role in recognizing everyone and everything as foreign agents.
You can read more about Popov’s assets here .
Vladimir Solovyov, TV and radio presenter
Sanctions:
- EU – from February 23, 2022
- Canada – from March 6, 2022
Why on the list
Vladimir Solovyov is one of the main mouthpieces of Russian propaganda. He actively supports Russia’s war with Ukraine.
You can read more about Solovyov’s assets here .
Original source of article: https://istories.media/
