The Spanish authorities have identified assets – including homes, companies and at least one luxury yacht – belonging to 15 Russian oligarchs included in the list of sanctions of EUsaid today a competent official speaking to the agency Reuters.
THE Mariano Garcia Fresnohead of the anti-money laundering service, stated, in particular, that the Authority had identified suspicious activity after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 Februaryas the oligarchs tried to transfer their shares in certain companies to relatives or associates to avoid being located.
«They had already started transferring shares – especially to Spanish companies – or shares in foreign companies“, Said the Spanish official.
«We found about 15 people on this list (EU sanctions) and another 105 people related to them or their family members (…) There are people who are lesser known on the list, but some of them were some of the best known“, He added.
After examining more than 1,000 names among the millions of transactions registered with Spanish notaries since 2004, Garcia Fresno’s office found that the sanctioned oligarchs were involved in at least 10 Spanish companies and 13 foreigners.
The information was handed over to the country’s financial intelligence unit and the finance ministry and, in late April, the government confirmed that it had freeze 12 funds and bank accounts linked to five people on the sanctions list, along with three luxury yachts and 23 properties.
Companies affiliated with Russian oligarchs own about 35 properties in Spain, including many luxury homes, Garcia Fresno added, as well as bank accounts and shares in companies operating in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
His office found that in Spain foreign companies appeared as owners of businesses that owned assets associated with the oligarchs, but even though they existed two or three intermediariesthe unit that fights money laundering was able to track their ownership through databases.
Every week since Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union has imposed new sanctions on Moscow, adding hundreds of top politicians, businessmen and the military to “black list“, Writes Reuters.
However, the implementation of sanctions faces legal restrictions and difficulties in locating the real owners of assets, such as real estate, luxury boats or bank accounts, transmits the RES EIA.
This week, the European Commission announced that it would table one legislative proposal to prosecute those who try to avoid sanctions, for example by transferring their assets to family members.
(File photo)
Source: News Beast
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