Godfather of Vladimir Putin’s daughter among
latest names on EU sanctions list
Sergei Roldugin, 71, formerly a high-profile orchestra
cellist, is one of 26 new additions to 680-strong list
Daniel
Boffey in Brussels
Mon 28 Feb
2022 22.08 GMT
A Russian
oligarch who is godfather to Vladimir Putin’s daughter is one of 26
businessmen, officials and military figures who have been added to the EU’s
expanding sanctions list.
Sergei
Roldugin, 71, the former principal cellist of the Kirov Opera Theatre’s
orchestra in the 1980s and godfather to Putin’s eldest daughter, Maria, is
among those who it is claimed are threatening the territorial integrity of
Ukraine.
He joins a
total of 680 individuals and 53 entities whose assets in EU member states are
frozen and who are under a travel ban.
The latest
listings include oligarchs and businessmen active in the oil, banking and
finance sectors, as well as government officials, military figures and media
personalities in Russia.
The
invasion of Ukraine has prompted a raft of sanctions on Russian individuals,
institutions and companies in wide-ranging measures that have helped send the
Russian economy into turmoil.
Notably, a
number of those targeted are described as being within Putin’s small circle of
good friends.
The legal
text approved by EU foreign ministers on Monday evening, says: “Mr Roldugin is
a businessman with close ties to Vladimir Putin. He is part of Putin’s network
financial scheme. He owns at least 5 offshore entities and he keeps his assets
at Bank Rossiya (sanctioned by the Union), known in Moscow as ‘Putin’s wallet’.
“According
to the investigation of the ICIJ, Mr Roldugin is responsible for ‘shuffling’ at
least 2 billion USD through banks and offshore companies as a part of Putin’s
hidden financial network.
“He also
took part in ‘Troika Laundromat’, and he funnelled billions of USD through the
system. Moreover, he received more than 69 million USD through companies within
the ‘Troika Laundromat.’”
The Troika
laundromat is the name given to a collection of 70 offshore shell companies
whose controllers used them to move billions of dollars of private wealth from
Russia to the west.
The network
is said to have worked like a washing machine: money arrived from multiple
sources and was then “spun” between network companies and sometimes between
multiple bank accounts belonging to a single company.
Others on
the list, include Igor Sechin, 61, the chief executive of Rosneft, the state
oil company and one of the world’s largest crude oil producers.
He is
described by the EU as “one of Vladimir Putin’s most trusted and closest
advisers, as well as his personal friend” who is in contact with him on a daily
basis.
“Igor
Sechin’s Rosneft was involved in financing the vineyards of the palace complex
near Gelendzhik, which is considered to be personally used by President Putin,”
the EU text said.
A former
KGB colleague of Putin’s, Nikolay Tokarev, 71, who is chief executive of
Transneft, a major Russian oil and gas company, is also sanctioned.
The text
said: “He is Vladimir Putin’s long-time acquaintance and close associate. He
served together with Putin in the KGB in 1980s. Mr Tokarev is one of the
Russian state oligarchs who assumed control over large state assets in the
2000s as President Putin consolidated power, and who operate in close
partnership with the Russian state …
“Nikolay
Tokarev’s Transneft is one of the main sponsors of the palace complex near
Gelendzhik which is widely considered to be personally used by President
Putin.”
Alisher
Usmanov, 68, a businessman who operates in the iron ore and steel, media and
internet sectors and is said by the EU to be “one of Vladimir Putin’s favourite
oligarchs”, is included.
“Mr Usmanov
has reportedly fronted for President Putin and solved his business problems,”
the EU text said. “According to FinCEN files, he paid $6m to Vladimir Putin’s
influential adviser Valentin Yumashev.
“Dmitry
Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and former
president and prime minister of Russia, benefited from the personal use of
luxurious residences controlled by Mr Usmanov.”
Others
listed are: Petr Aven, 64, who has been friends with Putin since the 1990s and
is among 50 wealthy businessmen who regularly meet the Russian president;
Mikhail Fridman, 55, a key shareholder of the Alfa bank which helped Putin’s
eldest daughter, Maria, run a charity project, Alfa-Endo; and Dmitri Peskov,
54, who is Putin’s press secretary.
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