“Living beyond your means.” Former head of Alfa-Bank confiscates cash

Last week, about 30 British “officials” raided the home of Russian billionaire Pyotr Aven, said Bloomberg resources. As a result, £30,000 ($37,754) cash was seized from Aven.

Bloomberg said British officials were “extensively examining” money transfers made by the businessman to the UK following the start of the Russian military operation. Aven is scheduled to be questioned about these transfers. According to a TASS source, British authorities believe he has spent much more than he could have spent under the terms of the sanctions and is “living beyond his means”.

This marks the first time since the beginning of the Russian military operation that the British authorities are investigating a possible violation of sanctions. In total, since 24 February, London has sanctioned more than a thousand people and 100 companies.

According to the agency’s interlocutors, the entrepreneur transferred some of the money to the company that manages his real estate. The funds went to the billionaire’s current expenses. The British side will also check whether the actions of a British citizen working for this company are considered a violation of sanctions against Aven.

The UK’s National Crime Agency said it has never confirmed or denied information about such investigations.

While RBC’s source, familiar with the progress of the investigation, explained that this is specifically related to checking compliance with sanctions restrictions, no criminal charges have been filed against Aven. Earlier, a TASS source claimed that a criminal case was filed in the UK against Aven. Bloomberg announced that so far, the British authorities have not officially accused anyone.

Britain imposed sanctions on Aven and his partner, Russian businessman Mikhail Fridman, on March 15, over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, Aven was in England at the time and hasn’t traveled anywhere since.

Aven cannot freely dispose of its UK funds as it is under sanctions. A businessman must apply for a special license from the Financial Sanctions Enforcement Authority to spend money. Bloomberg sources noted that Aven has not received such a license. A TASS source stated that due to the sanctions, Aven will not be able to spend more than £2.5k a month.

At the end of March, the entrepreneur complained that he did not know how to “survive” under the sanctions.

“Can I go [оплачивать] cleaner or driver? I don’t use it myself… Maybe my stepdaughter does. We don’t understand how to survive. <...> Our business is completely ruined. Everything we’ve built for 30 years is now completely destroyed. And somehow we have to start a new life, ”the businessman admitted.

The British Financial Times (FT) wrote that Aven lives in London. Prestigious St. James has a two-story apartment and a mansion in the suburbs. London froze the rights to this property along with the billionaire’s other assets.

In an interview with the FT, the billionaire said that British lawyers did not want to work with Russians, so he could not find a lawyer to challenge the sanctions. Aven described the restrictions imposed on him as “dishonest”.

The EU imposed sanctions on Aven on February 28. The European Union described the billionaire as “one of Vladimir Putin’s closest oligarchs” and “a particularly close friend of Rosneft chief Igor Sechin”. The EU stressed that Aven “benefits from his links in power”, that he is “actively supported and benefited, financially or financially” from leaders responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the “destabilization of Ukraine”.

In addition, Aven and his partner Fridman allegedly “participated in the Kremlin’s attempts to lift US sanctions imposed to counter Russia’s aggressive policy towards Ukraine.” The EU noted that Putin “rewarded the loyalty of the Alpha Group” by providing political assistance to the consortium’s foreign investment plans.

British officials said Aven was “a prominent Russian businessman and pro-Kremlin oligarch”.

“I’m not close to Putin, but doing business in Russia requires contacting the president, and if they call me from the Kremlin, I have to answer. It is very strange that you are sanctioned for meeting the president. <...> During the talks with Putin, I represented the Alfa Group, but I never represented myself,” he said.

He denied being a close friend of Sechin. The billionaire described the EU’s statement as “deliberately false statements”, with which Europe is trying to justify the sanctions.

In the early 90s, Aven was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR and served as Minister of Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Federation in the Yeltsin-Gaidar government. He became Chairman of Alfa-Bank in 1994 and Chairman of Alfa-Bank in 2011.

Against the backdrop of the sanctions, Aven resigned from the board of Alfa-Bank and the board of British investment group LetterOne.

British authorities are interested in money transfers of the Russian billionaire, the former head of Alfa-Bank Peter Aven. After the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, it came under Western sanctions and lost access to its billions of dollars accounts. Now London suspects Aven is trying to manage money around the restrictions, according to Bloomberg.



Source: Gazeta

Popular

More from author

Turkey suspected that the Crocus terrorist attack was carried out without the support of foreign intelligence services 12:56

Ömer Çelik, the official representative of the ruling Justice and Development Party, said that the terrorist attack on Çiğdem City Hall could not have...

Peskov spoke about the role of friendly relations in negotiations 12:42

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western politicians lack the political will to establish good and constructive personal relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The usefulness...

Anna Sirota Why we love grandchildren more than children 03.27.2024, 08:04

I am the so-called young grandmother. I gave birth to my first grandchild when I was 50, and my grandchild was born when...

Moscow region resident received three stab wounds to the heart and survived 12:53

Doctors at Lyubertsy hospital saved a man who was hospitalized with three stab wounds to the heart. In this respect reports Telegram channel...