Congress pushes Whistleblower Reward bill to nab enablers of sanctioned oligarchs
However, many Russian oligarchs have evaded sanctions thanks to a coterie of Western enablers who in part help them mask their ownership of assets through proxies, including their lovers and bodyguards, according to a new report.
The report, led by the OCCRP and IStories, along with other media partners, is based on 50,000 documents and email leaks. They reveal details on two particular oligarchs close to Putin — Boris Rotenberg and his brother Arkady, the Russian strongman’s one-time judo sparring partner – who own properties in Spain, France and the United States, some of which are currently frozen.
The reports also showed how oligarchs avoided paying tax on some of the properties by setting up companies in offshore havens — and how they masked their ownership of assets through new weaponized Russian investment vehicles known as ZPIFs, which operate like closed mutual funds. For example, the Rotenbergs – which include Boris’ wife Karina, a Russian born, US sanctioned American citizen – were aided by an ex-KGB officer and Russian Defense Ministry advisor Maxim Viktorov.
Western nations sanctioned several Russian oligarchs following Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“The Rotenberg Files show yet again that the armies are not just on the battlefield — they’re in offices in Europe and the U.S., fueling this system to the detriment of citizens across the world,” Patrucic said.
“Cooperation with foreign law enforcement is difficult and involves tracing the movement of money through multiple jurisdictions. The US government is putting a lot of resources into making these cases a top priority, but it takes time.”
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