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USA announced Friday that it has filed criminal charges against two men who it said tried to prevent the seizure of the sanctioned Russian oligarch’s $90 million superyacht. Viktor Vekselberga close friend of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
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The US Department of Justice charged Vladislav Osipov51 years old, with dual Russian and Swiss nationality, and a British citizen Richard Masters52, of sanctions evasion and money laundering related to the operation of the luxury yacht “Tango” after the sanctions imposed a Vekselberg.
Masters was arrested in Spain on Friday over an extradition request for USAwhile Osipov is on the run, the Justice Department said.
US authorities said that after billionaire Vekselberg, head of the Renova Group conglomerate, was sanctioned in 2018, Osipov and Masters used shell companies to hide ownership and continued use of the yacht.
Masters, who ran a yacht management company in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, renamed the yacht “Fanta” to help circumvent sanctions restrictions and keep it running.
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The US sanctions imply the blocking of all assets that those involved have under the jurisdiction of USA and forbids a U.S. persons or entities to do business with them.
“Osipov Y masters advised and allowed ‘Tango’ employees to continue doing business with numerous US companies, using various schemes to avoid sanctions, such as payments in other currencies and a through third parties”the Justice Department said.
The “Tango”, a 78-meter-long yacht, was seized in April 2022 in Spain.
USA announced in March, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the creation of a cell dedicated to prosecuting “corrupt Russian oligarchs” and all those who violate the sanctions adopted by Washington against Moscow.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
