Will the Tories Hand Back Russian Cash as Putin Threatens War?

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: To begin unravelling the Kremlin’s tendrils from Britain, the government must return millions in political donations

The consulate of the Russian embassy in London. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA
Regardless of what unfolds in the coming days and weeks, the fact that Vladimir Putin is once again menacing and stalking the world stage requires those of us committed to peace to act. In the UK, that means getting our own house in order.

Let there be no doubt: when it comes to tackling Russian aggression, the Labour party supports the UK government and our allies. Those who equivocate between the actions of Russia and Nato are misguided or worse. The unified approach of recent weeks has surprised the Kremlin precisely because it is so used to encountering division. Those divisions have contributed to decades of failure in dealing with Russia.

The Putin playbook is well known. He favours chaos over order, the fog of war over clear strategy. He takes a nihilistic, zero-sum approach to foreign policy. Illicit money and influence are used as a judo move that turns the openness and freedom of western democracies into weaknesses. Over almost 12 years of Tory government, the tendrils of the Kremlin have been allowed to wrap around the UK, turning London into the “money-laundering capital of the world”. A cottage industry has been created that directly and indirectly does the bidding of those linked to Putin. Last week, it was revealed that £1.5bn of UK property had been snapped up by Russians accused of corruption or linked to the Kremlin. They are not here for the weather: they see us as a soft touch, somewhere they can hide cash with few questions asked. » | Keir Starmer * | Sunday, February 20, 2022

* Sir Keir Starmer is leader of the Labour party

Starmer: Russians hide cash in ‘soft touch’ UK: Labour leader accuses the Tories of failing to counter the flow of corrupt money into UK property sector »

Ukraine Crisis: Corruption Alert over Russians with £1.5bn of British Property

Igor Shuvalov has two properties in Whitehall Court through a Russian business he co-owns with his wife | ALAMY
THE TIMES: UK property worth £1.5 billion was bought by Russians with links to the Kremlin or accused of corruption, according to newly released figures.

Nearly £430 million of the property is in Westminster in London, and more than half is held by companies in Britain’s overseas territories and crown dependencies.

Transparency International, the campaign group that unearthed the figures, said the findings exposed how Britain had become a “global hub for money laundering”. It identified 2,189 companies registered in the UK, Britain’s overseas territories and crown dependencies that have been used in 48 Russian money-laundering and corruption cases.

In total, these cases involved funds worth more than £82 billion diverted from “rigged” procurement, bribery, embezzlement and the unlawful acquisition of state assets, Transparency International said. » | Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor | Friday, February 18, 2-22

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MORE TORY CORRUPTION :

The ultra-rich Tory donors with access to Boris Johnson’s tope team: In return for a £250,000 donation to the Conservatives, multimillionaires are being ushered into the heart of government as part of a secret ‘advisory board’ »

Six Tory donors given top cultural posts since Boris Johnson became PM: Conservative party is shown to have been given more than £3m by appointees to roles at museums and galleries »

France Says Britain Must Extend Sanctions to Russian Oligarchs in London

Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius tells William Hague oligarchs should suffer

Britain should target the assets of Russian oligarchs in London if more sanctions are adopted against Moscow over Ukraine, France’s foreign minister has said.

Laurent Fabius made the remarks as he said France might envisage suspending a €1.2billion (£1billion) contract to supply two warships to Russia.

The decision not to deliver two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, he said, could be part of a potential “third level” of sanctions if Russia did not respond to those imposed by the European Union and the US on Monday on a number of top Russian and Ukrainian figures.

But he insisted this could only take place “in the framework of general sanctions imposed by all countries”.

Mr Fabius went on to single out Britain, saying it must do “the equivalent with the assets of Russian oligarchs in London. Sanctions have to touch everyone”. » | Henry Samuel, in Paris and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Ukraine Crisis: I'm Prepared to Hit City to Punish Putin, Says David Cameron

David Cameron and Angela Merkel meet ahead of a European
leaders emergency summit on Ukraine

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russians could be hit with asset freezes and travel bans "within days", Prime Minister says, even if it harms the City and British industries

Sanctions will be imposed on Russia within days unless it loosens its grip on the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, David Cameron announced today.

The City of London and the defence industry could suffer as a result Britain has learnt from history that it must “stand up to aggression” and cannot stand by “when nations are trampled over”, the Prime Minister said.

Britain, the EU and the US are drawing up a list of Russian officials who will see their off-shore bank accounts frozen and banned from travelling to the West unless it steps back from annexing the Crimean peninsula. Defence co-operation is also under review, with a presumption that arms contracts will be scrapped.

Mr Cameron, speaking after talks in Hanover with German President Angela Merkel, said he would “ratchet up the pressure” on Vladimir Putin if he attempts to “legitimise” a Russian-backed referendum on Crimea leaving Ukraine on Sunday.

Downing Street said that any sanctions would be aimed at individuals but sources said that this would be unlikely to mean President Putin could be targeted. » | Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent | Monday, March 10, 2014

Russland: Medwedew lehnt Begnadigung von Chodorkowski ab
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Expertengruppe ist sich einig: Kremlkritiker Chodorkowski kann aus der Haft entlassen werden - Russlands scheidender Präsident Medwedew will ihn trotzdem nicht auf freien Fuß setzen. Dabei hatte er selbst angeordnet, das Urteil überprüfen zu lassen.

Moskau - Keine Gnade für den Putin-Gegner: Der russische Ex-Ölunternehmer Michail Chodorkowski muss vier weitere Jahre im Gefängnis bleiben. Präsident Dmitri Medwedew hat eine Begnadigung Chodorkowskis abgelehnt, sagte der Rechtsberater des Kreml, Michail Fedotow, am Dienstag dem Radiosender Moskauer Echo. » | vks/AFP | Dienstag, 03. April 2012

Roman Abramovich: I Am Not a Fraudster

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Roman Abramovich was forced to deny being a fraudster and an arms dealer as he gave evidence in a British court for the first time yesterday.

The 45 year-old owner of Chelsea FC, who guards his privacy as closely as he guards his billions, faced an uncomfortable afternoon in the witness box at the High Court in London as he disclosed details of his personal and business life.

The oligarch is being sued for $6.5 billion by Boris Berezovsky, his former associate who accuses Mr Abramovich of swindling him out of shares in companies they allegedly set up together.

Mr Abramovich set out his rags-to-riches tale of how he had gone from selling rubber ducks to sitting on a £10.3 billion oil and minerals empire in just two decades. And while he acknowledged Mr Berezovsky’s role in helping him to win friends in the Kremlin, he described the 65 year-old as a “megalomaniac” who “behaved like a child”.

As the costly legal battle entered its fifth week, Mr Berezovsky stared intently at the man he says was his protégé as he entered the witness box. Mr Abramovich cut a strangely unassuming figure. Unable to read or speak any English, he gave his evidence via a translator and wore headphones to hear barristers’ questions in his native Russian. » | Duncan Gardham, and Gordon Rayner | Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Related »

Roman Abramovich Describes Background in Welding and Plastic Toys
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea Football club owner, today told the High Court how he created a multi billion pound fortune despite leaving school at 16 and originally starting his business career selling plastic toys.

The Chelsea Football club owner is giving evidence in a High Court battle with exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.

Fighting off a legal battle for £6.5bn, almost half his fortune, the Chelsea FC owner, gave short answers in Russian as he was probed about his background.

He faces accusations by Boris Berezovsky, his former “mentor” that he blackmailed him into selling his shares in the oil conglomerate the founded together after Mr Berezovsky fell out with Vladimir Putin, then the newly-elected president of Russia.

Mr Abramovich claims that Mr Berezovsky never had any interest in his companies and was paid $2.5bn for “Krysha” – his protection from criminal gangs and his political patronage.

The two men have ignored each other across the court room in central London for the last month but today came as close as at any time since Mr Berezovsky served a writ on Mr Abramovich at a Hermes store in central London four years ago. » | Duncan Gardham and Gordon Rayner | Monday, October 31, 2011

Mikhail Khodorkovsy 'To Be Moved to Undisclosed Prison'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mikhail Khodorkovsy, the former head of the Yukos oil company, is to be moved from a Moscow jail to an undisclosed prison colony, his lawyers have said.

Authorities at Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina prison informed the jailed oligarch’s wife of the forthcoming transfer yesterday morning, Vadim Klyugvant told Russian media.

Neither Khodorkovsky’s wife nor his lawyers have been able to seen [sic] him, even though prisoners are entitled to a family visit before being transferred, Mr Klyugvant said.

“Right now the spouse intends to exercise this right,” he told the Interfax news agency. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow | Friday, June 10, 2011

Roman Abramovich Declares Assets
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, has declared his assets for the first time in more than a decade, disclosing that he has 16 properties, seven cars, 22 bank accounts, six companies, and one football club.

The 44-year-old businessman and owner of Chelsea Football Club made the declaration as part of a campaign to run for re-election as a local MP in Chukotka, a remote region in Russia's far east which he used to run on the Kremlin's behalf.

The disclosure is part of President Dmitry Medvedev's anti-corruption drive as he pushes all politicians to declare their assets.

Mr Abramovich's declaration listed seven properties in Britain, two in the United States, three in France, and four in Russia.

They are known to include two houses in Lowndes Square, Belgravia, which are together estimated to be worth up to £150 million; a house in the South of France once used by Edward VIII and Wallace Simpson which he is thought to have spent £30 million; his main Moscow residence, two properties in Aspen, Colorado together worth £30 million, and a luxurious residence in the Caribbean worth £56 million.

The publicity-shy tycoon also disclosed that he owned seven cars, mostly a mixture of high-end Mercedes and BMWs that would altogether cost an estimated £650,000 to buy new. >>> Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Thursday, February 17, 2011

Related >>>

Gorbatchev a "honte" de la Russie, 20 ans après la fin de sa perestroïka
LE POINT: Le dernier dirigeant soviétique, contraint de quitter le pouvoir en 1991, dénonce l'autoritarisme du régime actuel.

Le dernier dirigeant soviétique Mikhaïl Gorbatchev a vertement critiqué, mercredi, une Russie aux élites "dépravées" où la vie politique se résume à une "imitation", disant avoir "honte" de son pays, près de vingt ans après la fin de la perestroïka qu'il avait lancée. Dans un long entretien accordé au journal d'opposition Novaïa Gazeta dont il est l'un des actionnaires, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, qui fêtera ses 80 ans le 2 mars, a notamment raconté que le chef adjoint de l'administration du Kremlin, Vladislav Sourkov, considéré comme le principal "idéologue" du pouvoir russe, l'a empêché de créer un parti social-démocrate.

"J'avais l'intention avec mes amis de créer un parti. Quand Sourkov l'a appris, il m'a demandé ça vous sert à quoi ? De toute façon, nous n'enregistrerons pas votre parti", a-t-il révélé. "La classe dirigeante se conduit de manière révoltante. Ils sont riches et dépravés. Leur idéal c'est (Roman) Abramovitch", milliardaire, propriétaire du club de football londonien Chelsea, de yachts et de villas luxueuses, estime Mikhaïl Gorbatchev. "J'ai honte de cette riche débauche" >>> Le Point.fr | Mercredi 16 Février 2011

Gorbachev Criticises Russia' Ruling Elite
NEWS 24: Moscow - The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on Russia's ruling elite, claiming the Kremlin had banned him from setting up a political party.



In an interview with Novaya Gazeta newspaper ahead of his 80th birthday on March 2, Gorbachev said he wanted to set up a social democratic party but the Kremlin's chief ideologue Vladislav Surkov warned it would not be registered.



"With my friends, I have an idea to set up a party. When Surkov found out, he asked: 'Why do you need this? In any case, we are not going to register your party'," Gorbachev said.



Surkov, Kremlin first deputy chief of staff, is credited with creating the centralised power system that has marked Russia under the rule of Vladimir Putin as well as coining the phrase "sovereign democracy".



"I replied: We will create a movement," Gorbachev said. "And we created it. But a movement is not a party and does not take part in elections. We need to have a social democratic party that does not depend on the authorities."



He accused the ruling class in Russia of showing indifference to its people and also lashed out at billionaire Roman Abramovich who has built up his fortune while staying well away from politics. >>> SAPA | Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Russlands bekanntester Häftling tritt in Hungerstreik: Chodorkowski will auf Justizwillkür aufmerksam machen
NZZ ONLINE: Der inhaftierte Kremlkritiker und frühere Ölmanager Michail Chodorkowski ist aus Protest gegen Justizwillkür in Russland in einen unbefristeten Hungerstreik getreten. Der bekannteste Häftling des Landes will damit die Aufmerksamkeit von Kremlchef Dmitri Medwedew auf die andauernden Gesetzesverstösse lenken. Das berichteten russische Medien.

Der 46-jährige Chef des inzwischen zerschlagenen Ölkonzerns Yukos, der seit 2003 wegen Steuerbetrugs in Haft sitzt, muss sich derzeit in einem zweiten Verfahren wegen Geldwäsche verantworten. Menschenrechtler zeigten sich besorgt wegen des Gesundheitszustands von Chodorkowski. >>> sda/dpa | Dienstag, 18. Mai 2010


RUSSIA TODAY: Khodorkovsky on hunger strike over court ruling: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head and key shareholder of Russian oil company Yukos went on an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday to protest the court’s decision to leave him in custody. >>> | Tuesday, May 18, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Jailed Russian oligarch goes on hunger strike: The imprisoned Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has gone on a hunger strike to draw attention to what he claims are improper court rulings against suspects charged with economic crimes. >>> | Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Inside a Russian Billionaire's $300 Million Yacht

A Free Speech Crusade We Should All Be Proud to Join
EVENING STANDARD: Saudi bankers and Russian oligarchs love London, and not only for its chichi boutiques. English judges provide them with a unique and de-luxe service: the right to silence detractors from all corners of the globe.

Their behaviour is causing an international scandal but you would never guess it from the wretched response to the Daily Mail editor-in-chief's criticisms of Mr Justice Eady. The supposedly liberal-minded Lord Falconer, the former Labour Lord Chancellor, and Lord Lester, who once championed human rights, have burbled their defences of Eady, apparently unaware that all over the world honest people fear him.

I've been on the fringes of campaigns for freedom of expression for years, and could provide dozens of examples. But let us begin with the case that has made English law a laughing stock.

One of Barack Obama's first acts as president will be to sign into law the Libel Tourism Bill, which is sailing through the US Congress. America is an ally whose law has its roots in England but because of Eady it will not recognise the judgments of English courts.

Eady allowed the billionaire Saudi banker Khalid bin Mahfouz to sue Rachel Ehrenfeld, an American author. Ms Ehrenfeld had not published or promoted her book on the funding of terrorism in England. The sheikh had paid hundreds of millions of dollars in fines after the collapse of the corrupt Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

Eady shrugged and ordered that all copies of Ehrenfeld's book should nevertheless be pulped. >>> Nick Cohen | November 12, 2008

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