Biodun.BBC: UK turns blind eye to dirty Russian money, say MPs

Sunday, May 20, 2018

UK turns blind eye to dirty Russian money, say MPs

Russian ruble coin — Image captionThe City of London is being used to hide the "corrupt Russian assets," the report says

by Emily Straton and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, London

The UK has been accused of turning a "blind eye" to Russia's "dirty money", putting national security at risk.

The Commons foreign affairs committee said London was being used to hide the "corrupt assets" of President Vladimir Putin and his allies.

It said it was "business as usual" for the UK despite the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

This undermined the UK's efforts to confront the full spectrum of President Putin's offensive measures, it said.

The UK's "lethargic response is being taken as proof that we don't dare stop them... London's markets are enabling the Kremlin's efforts," committee chairman and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat wrote in the Sunday Times, ahead of the the publication of the report.

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Security and economic crime minister Ben Wallace said he had not been called to give evidence to the committee: "I fear such an omission weakens the foundation of the report," he said.

Mr Wallace said the UK was "determined to drive dirty money and the money launderers out".

"[We] will use all the powers we have, including the new powers in the Criminal Finance Act, to clamp down on those that threaten our security," he added.

Vladimir Putin in Sochi, 3 May 2018 — Image captionThe UK's efforts to confront President Putin's offensive measures are being undermined, MPs say

Mr Tungendhat said ministers should investigate "gaps" in the sanctions regime which allows the Russian government and individuals linked to President Putin to continue to raise funds in the City.

The report, named Moscow's Gold: Russian Corruption in the UK, points out that Russian gas giant Gazprom was able to trade bonds in London "days after the attempted murders" of Mr Skripal and his daughter.

That business between the UK and Russia had resumed so swiftly prompted the Russian embassy in London to tweet: "Business as usual?"

"The scale of damage that this 'dirty money' can do to UK foreign policy interests dwarfs the benefit of Russian transactions in the City.

"The UK must be clear that the corruption stemming from the Kremlin is no longer welcome in our markets and we will act," said Mr Tugendhat.

The committee's report urges the government to show "stronger political leadership" on the issue by taking a number of actions, including: