Billions on servant: Russian oligarchs under sanctions in Britain continue to spend money - NYT
According to the publication, the British government allowed the Russian oligarchs to spend large sums of money on various luxury items, giving the so -called licenses - official permissions to use part of assets even when freezing accounts. According to the documents studied by the journalists, the Russian bank magnate Mikhail Friedman approved a license for wages of 19 employees, including drivers, private chefs, house workers and handymen. The payment in about ten months was £ 300,000.
In addition, Friedman, according to journalists, received monthly assistance of about £ 7000 to cover the basic needs of his family. Journalists also report that British officials allowed Friedman's former business partner to receive monthly help in the amount of £ 60,000. In their view, undermines the effect of sanctions.
" At the same time, the representative of the UK Ministry of Finance refused to publicly comment on specific cases, assuring that they were "strictly controlled" licenses, they were issued to ensure essential payments. Journalists report that such licensing emphasizes the problems that the British government faced after Brexit. Sanctions on Russian oligarchs have consequences for British business and economy as a whole.
And licenses actually make it possible to bypass restrictions and continue business in the country. The publication added that last week, Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov was expelled from the black list of sanctions as a result of litigation. Friedman also challenges the imposition of restrictions in court. Focus wrote that in March 2023, Russian oligarchs Oleg Tinkov and Mikhail Friedman tried to get off their names from the Western sanctions.