The oligarch in question has long been associated with senior government officials of the Russian Federation. Credit: Freepik.
Prague, Aug 7 (CTK) – Czech police are prosecuting a Russian citizen for violating international sanctions, as he was involved in transferring money to a Russian oligarch placed on the EU sanction list in 2015 over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, National Center against Organized Crime (NCOZ) spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told CTK today.
According to Ibehej, the oligarch in question has long been associated with senior government officials of the Russian Federation.
The prosecution was launched by NCOZ on 2 August. According to the agency, the Russian committed the crime, which consisted of transferring the oligarch’s money, in 2015. “The funds were subsequently used on the territory of the Czech Republic,” the spokesman said.
The police have carried out a search in the case, which is being supervised by the Prague Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The man is being prosecuted in absentia.
Under the Czech Criminal Code, the violation of international sanctions carries a basic penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine. The offence is committed by anyone who commits a significant violation of the sanctions that the Czech Republic has committed to meet within the UN or EU or that it has introduced itself under the sanction law.
The penalty is further increased depending on the amount of damage caused. If the perpetrator’s act significantly contributes to the breach of international peace and security, the fight against terrorism or the promotion of democracy and the rule of law, they may be imprisoned for up to eight years.
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