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British authorities have dropped some of the charges against Russian banker Mikhail Fridman, writes the Financial Times, citing informed sources. We know for the moment that the National Crime Agency (NCA) is no longer investigating a “conspiracy to provide false testimony” against the businessman. Earlier, a number of media outlets reported that Friedman provided false information to the British Foreign Office in order to issue a visa to his girlfriend.
The Financial Times notes that lifting some of the banker’s suspicions can be described as “the failure of the agency’s new division to tackle kleptocracy.” It was created after the launch of the SVO in Ukraine “to fight against corrupt elites laundering their assets in the UK.
British authorities continue to review documents against Friedman on suspicion of money laundering. The businessman himself, despite the pressure, continues to live in London and is asking for the sanctions to be lifted in court, notes FT.
Today, Russian businessmen are abroad, but under the sanctions of Great Britain and the European Union and will not be able to dispose of their capital. And now, with the support of opposition politicians, they are counting on the indulgence of European authorities.
