Great Britainʼs National Crime Agency has dropped two out of three charges against Russian oligarch Mykhailo Fridman. But he is still suspected of money laundering.
The Financial Times (FT) writes about this with reference to sources.
The agency dropped its investigation into Friedman on suspicion of conspiracy to commit perjury and conspiracy to defraud the UK Home Office. Accusations of money laundering remain.
An official representative of the agency confirmed this information to the publication, but did not name Fridman. He only stated that he is a 58-year-old Russian who was detained in London.
- In early December, Britainʼs National Crime Agency (NCA) announced the arrest of a 58-year-old "wealthy Russian businessman" on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud British justice and conspiracy to commit perjury. The NCA reported that the businessman was detained on December 1 at his home. Several digital devices and a large amount of cash were taken from him.
- After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Friedman was sanctioned by the European Union and Great Britain. He complained about the related financial restrictions. Friedman, like a number of other businessmen, challenged the sanctions, arguing that they have no effect on Putinʼs policies.