The head of Hermitage Capital William Browder at the hearing in the British Parliament on Tuesday said that the Kingdom came and was spent on luxury items us $30 million from the scheme by $230 million uncovered by Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, writes the Financial Times. This is also stated in the press release of the Program “Justice for Sergei Magnitsky”, submitted to on Wednesday. Browder stressed that the British authorities should investigate the alleged money laundering.
Browder appeared before the home Affairs Committee (Home Affairs Committee) house of Commons, hearings which were devoted to the question of efficiency of application of the law On proceeds of crime”. He said that his team conducted the investigation and the documents obtained from some Russian source, has revealed evidence that money from the scheme, which investigated Magnitsky, were transferred to Britain. According to the head of Hermitage Capital, funds received from the Lithuanian and Cypriot accounts of offshore companies, stated in a press release.
According to Browder, $2 million of the $30 million were allegedly transferred to the UK companies linked to banker Dmitry Kluyev. His Browder called “the alleged inspiration” for tax fraud. The FT writes that she was unable to communicate with Klyuev to receive comment, but notes that he had previously denied any involvement in fraud and his press Secretary claimed that Browder and Hermitage Capital trying to incriminate his client.
Browder also said British MPs that arrived in the country the money was spent on luxury items. In particular, according to him, $240 thousand, allegedly spent to pay for the yacht, $175 thousand for the rental of a private jet, the nearly $200 thousand cost of services of designers who worked on the design of the house and the boat. In addition, $115 thousand was spent on one expense of real estate companies of London, almost $300 thousand – in no-limit credit card, Glamour, tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on designer clothes, including wedding dress by Phillipa Lepley brand, Browder claimed.
In his speech, the head of Hermitage Capital criticized the British government for inaction in the Magnitsky case. According to him, five times he appealed to the British law enforcement authorities, but they never started the proceedings. “I can’t even describe to you the difference in the reactions that I received in France and the United States,” said Browder. Proceedings on the Magnitsky case is underway in 11 countries, six States in the framework of proceedings has frozen the assets of $43 million, the FT notes.
Sergei Magnitsky died in detention center “Matrosskaya Tishina” in November 2009. He was accused of involvement in organizing illegal return of ostensibly unduly paid profit tax for 2006. Magnitsky
headed the Department of tax and audit firm, Firestone Duncan, providing legal services, including Fund Hermitage Capital Management. In 2012 the United States adopted the so-called Magnitsky Act, which introduced personal sanctions against individuals, which Washington suspected of involvement in the death of a lawyer.
The Magnitsky case is mentioned in material from the so-called Panamanian archive, published in late April by the Center for the study of corruption and organized crime (OCCRP). The article says that the head of the Saint Petersburg House of music, cellist Sergei Roldugin has signed a deal with an offshore company, which could be used to withdraw money from the Russian budget in the case of Sergei Magnitsky”. The Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, repeatedly denied any involvement Roldugin to illegal offshore schemes.
