News
- 31 March 2016, 10:09
- The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
The Prosecutor General's Office: It is increasingly more difficult for the criminals to hide abroad from the RF
The Head of the General Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office Mr. Saak Karapetyan told “Izvestia” how Russia is addressing the issue of recovery of the stolen assets
The Head of the General Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office of the RF Saak Karapetyan told in the interview to the reporter of “Izvestia” Svetlana Subbotina about the fugitive oligarch Berezovsky’s estate, about the response from the International Association of Prosecutors to Mr. Navalny, about what is in store for Mr. Khodorkovsky and how many criminal assets have been returned to Russia.
Izvestia: Mr. Karapetyan, we have been informed that the Executive Committee of the International Association of Prosecutors dismissed a complaint of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) regarding the Prosecutor General of Russia Yury Chayka. But when was it filed and what did the Foundation seek?
Karapetyan: We did receive the notice from the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) informing that the complaint regarding the Prosecutor General Yury Chayka was considered at the meeting in Helsinki on 15 March 2016. The Committee unanimously concluded that there were no grounds for any further steps in relation to this complaint.
In accordance with the Charter of the Organization, after considering such complaints all involved parties shall be informed about the decision made. The Association is very authoritative organization in the field of legality protection, and its decisions are of great importance within the international prosecutors’ community. The complaint was filed in December, and after its consideration the members of the executive body of the Association produced a very clear and precise response. There are no grounds to doubt the honesty of the Prosecutor General of Russia.
Izvestia: One of the activities of your Department is the work on extraditing criminals who fled abroad from Russia. How is this work organized? According to the media the former Head of Rosgranitsa (State Border Facilities) Dmitry Bezdelov will be extradited to Russia by the end of January. But I have not heard about his extradition yet.
Karapetyan: The question of extradition has been resolved: the Italian officials have granted Bezdelov’s extradition. The former Head of Rosgranitsa was detained under our request, and we are expecting his extradition. Let me explain how this process is carried out. Criminals try to postpone their return to their homeland in every possible way, and try to appeal every step, so the dates of the extradition are somewhat moved.
The procedure of extradition is as follows: once the Prosecutor General’s Office is informed that everything is ready for the extradition, we instruct the Federal Service of Enforcement of Punishment, indicating the dates, and the convoy officials go to the designated place where they are handed over the person and then escort him or her to Russia. I would remind that we are dealing not only with the case of Bezdelov who is accused of creating a criminal society and fraudulent stealing of public funds on an especially large scale with the use of his official position.
Izvestia: What are the other cases? Do you mean the Yukos case?
Karapetyan: Unfortunately, the Yukos topic was artificially politicized in many countries where people who are charged in these matters are hiding; they are about 30 in number. This creates certain difficulties for us in addressing our tasks. However, we have made some progress in this issue.
As a result of active interaction with the competent authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, the extradition of Natalia Konovalova was granted who is convicted of stealing the funds exceeding 8 billion rubles from the company Tomskneft, which is a Yukos subsidiary. Our request for her extradition had been considered for 5 years. Initially the decision was to refuse the extradition with reference to an alleged political motive of the criminal prosecution. As a result of a 5 year long painstaking work, we succeeded in obtaining the extradition of Mrs. Konovalova to Russia. This is the first and, hopefully, not the last case of extradition of the person convicted or accused of the crimes related to the fraudulent activity of the former Yukos executives.
Incidentally, they use big financial resources representing themselves in foreign media as “opponents of the political regime”. But, as you can see, they do not always succeed in doing this. We are going to work consistently in order for all the persons accused and sentenced in absentia in Russia under the so-called Yukos case be returned to Russia for bringing them to justice.
In particular, we provided the Interpol with additional materials with a view to put Mikhail Khodorkovsky on the international wanted list. To this end we will use all the existing mechanisms and procedures.
Izvestia: How many Russian citizens are now on the wanted list with a view to their subsequent extradition?
Karapetyan: At the moment, there are more 3000 accused or convicted in Russia who are included in the INTERPOL wanted list at our requests.
Izvestia: Can you give any marquee names?
Karapetyan: For example, final court decisions have been rendered in France granting the extraditions of Mukhtar Ablyazov, the former owner and the chairman of the Board of JSC BTA Bank who is accused of multibillion stealings, and Alexey Kuznetsov, the former Minister of Finance of the Moscow Region. Both of them have been in custody in France for 2.5 years. We expect that this year the French authorities will make the final decision concerning their extradition to Russia.
In addition, Belarus extradited the former Deputy Head of the Supreme Court Justice Department Evgeniya Titova who is accused of fraudulent actions and causing damages to the federal budget of the Russian Federation in the amount of over 25 million rubles.
We expect that Austria will extradite a major crime boss Mr. Gagiev. The criminal group which he headed committed some grave offences, murders. He is the gang leader, many other members have been convicted and are serving sentences. He fled to Austria, we managed to locate him and obtained his extradition – the Austrian law enforcement agencies detained him, though he made attempts to influence the Austrian judicial authorities as it was in his interests to protract the extradition process.
Izvestia: Are the criminals extradited to our country only provided extradition treaties exist between Russia and these states?
Karapetyan: No, not only. The partnership may, for example, be based on the principle of reciprocity.
Izvestia: Which countries do fugitives choose?
Karapetyan: The criminals increasingly trying to flee from justice in the countries with which Russia does not have extradition treaties. However, in the recent years we have successfully resolved the issues of extradition with such countries as Chile, Ghana, Cambodia, Paraguay, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In 2014, we obtained extradition from Ecuador of a person who was organizer and leader of the criminal group engaged in large deliveries of cocaine to Russia, Savkich by name.
Last year, as a result of joint actions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia deportation was carried out from Cambodia of Sergey Polonsky accused of the stealing of funds in the amount of over 2 billion rubles from over 100 Russian citizens.
Another example of cooperation with the country with which we have no extradition treaty is Thailand. Over the last five years 39 wanted persons were returned to Russia (19 of which in 2015).
Izvestia: If a country, for example, Russia, refuses to extradite its citizen, how may the principle of inevitability of responsibility for the crime be realized?
Karapetyan: Indeed, many countries, including Russia, do not grant extradition of their own citizens. But it should be taken into account that this restriction is not aimed at prevention of their criminal prosecution but at protection from possible violations of their rights during the investigation, court proceedings and serving of sentence abroad.
For the last three years over 450 criminal cases were received in Russia from abroad with requests of criminal prosecution of the Russian citizens who committed crimes abroad. Further to their consideration by the Russian courts, over 100 convictions were issued.
For example, last year a request from the US Department of Justice was executed for the prosecution of the Russian citizen Mr. Rakosiy accused of murdering two people in the USA. An investigation was pursued at our request, and last November Mr. Rakosiy was found guilty of murder by the Tula Regional Court. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
In turn, when Russia receives a refusal to extradite the persons who are nationals of the requested countries, we consider forwarding the criminal files with a view to prosecuting these persons in their country of origin.
In the last three years we forwarded over 200 criminal cases to our partners with the requests for criminal prosecution of foreign citizens who committed crimes in Russia. Foreign courts have already rendered over 80 judgments of conviction based on our materials.
For example, following our requests, for the murders committed in Russia, Nazarov and Okhunov were sentenced in Uzbekistan to 14 and 12 years accordingly, Imanov - to 14 years in Azerbaijan. Teneshov and Babaev were sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in Azerbaijan for the commission of rape in Russia, and Bakhronov to 7.5 years in Uzbekistan for an attempted rape. Abukhanov and Otegenov were convicted to 7 years in prison in Kazakhstan for an attempted bribery.
Izvestia: How is partnership maintained in the sphere of recovery of funds derived from crime?
Karapetyan: Over the last two years our foreign colleagues seized at our requests the funds for over 350 million dollars, 6 large real estate property objects, including elite mansions and hotels in the resort areas, totaling to hundreds of millions euros. A lot of funds were recovered to Russia, yet we understand that is just a tip of the iceberg.
In my view, the powers of the prosecutor in this area should be extended and regulated in the Russian law.
Izvestia: Are there any landmark objects among the seized property?
Karapetyan: In Cote d'-Azur there is a contested property once bought with the funds derived from crime by Boris Berezovsky. It is two huge castles, and the reason for their being contested are the appeals against the seizure of property on the part of numerous relatives of the fugitive oligarch. We hope that this property will be eventually transferred to Russia. The property is usually sold, and is returned as the money funds.
Izvestia: Which countries are, if we can say so, more or less willing to help in such cases?
Karapetyan: Many countries declare that they are willing to assist in recovery of stolen money, but when it comes to real actions, many things change.
For example, comprehensive programs against foreign corruption and kleptocracy are elaborated and implemented in the USA, but for some unknown reason, they are not willing to assist us in the criminal prosecution of the former Minister of Finance of the Moscow Region Alexey Kuznetsov and likewise Sergey Danilochkin accused of stealing of the budget funds exceeding 5 billion rubles. A similar situation is in the relations with the United Kingdom which refuses to disclose information on the whereabouts of this or that thief and where he had hidden the money. As a reason for refusal, they are referring to the “danger to the sovereignty and security” of their country.
Our partnership with France may be described as successful. Last year new high-price real estate real objects were identified in France with a total value of over €20 million owned by the above mentioned Kusnetsov and his accomplices. Our colleagues are investigating into the money laundering in France by this criminal group of the proceeds derived from crime in Russia. An agreement has been reached to seize these assets in the interests of the Russian Federation for its subsequent sale and recovery of the funds. Previous attachment of such real estate objects, as Courchevel hotels, for a total value about €100 million, is still valid.
Moreover, the Appellate Court of Rome, Italy, in accordance with the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia made a decision to seize three apartments and two garages totaling over €1 million bought with the funds stolen by the former Deputy General Director of the CJSC Moscow Easter Festival Igor Zotov who was convicted in Moscow in May 2015. In Riga, Latvia an elite apartment was arrested priced at about €680 thousand owned by the former Head of the OJSC Bank of Moscow Andrey Borodin accused of stealing of billions of rubles from the bank.
I would like to make particular mention of the partnership with our colleagues from Switzerland. The employees of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office of this country are true professionals. They are actively fighting for the reputation of the country by setting a goal to clean its banking system from the “dirty” money. This fight is bearing fruit. According to the law enforcement agencies of different states, the most favorable places for money laundering of the proceeds from crime are now London and Dubai.
In the recent years, over $110 million were recovered from Switzerland upon our requests. The latest example is the recovery of the funds of the former member of the Council of the Federation Igor Izmestiev sentenced to life for banditry and murders. The damage caused to the victims of the crimes committed by him in Russia was fully paid back from these funds.
Today we are jointly dealing with 20 serious cases. In particular, there are now funds totaling over $500 in the Swiss banks seized at our requests awaiting their turn to be returned to Russia. During our last meetings, an agreement was reached for gradual return of these funds. Now concrete measures have to be coordinated for the implementation of this agreement.
Izvestia: How long does it take to recover the funds?
Karapetyan: Unfortunately, the recovery of the stolen funds is a very lengthy process. The funds are transferred by the banks abroad by an order within one day, while their recovery may take years. There is a need for a permanent coordination of the actions with the foreign colleagues and a mutual informational and documentary support.
Izvestia: Recently information appeared about the return of many objects of cultural heritage to Russia.
Karapetyan: Yes, along with the recovery of the monetary and other assets to Russia, we are continuing work on the recovery to the Russian Federation of the numerous cultural valuables that were stolen during the “dark years”.
I would adduce the following example. There is an ongoing investigation in St. Petersburg concerning Vladimir Fainberg who is accused of stealing of the documents of the XVIII-XX centuries which are of great historical value from the Russian State Historical Archive in the mid-1990s.
As a result of the partnership with our American colleagues, we could return from the USA 28 old Russian documents. Among them there are imperial decrees signed by Peter the Great, Alexander the First, Alexander the Second, Alexander the Third, Paul I, Empresses Anna and Elizabeth of Russia. The handover took plane in March in the residence of American ambassador in Moscow.
Moreover, the Theotocos icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow” stolen in 2000 from the church in the Kostroma Region was returned from Italy in pursuance of the Russian request for legal assistance.
Izvestia: Have the sanctions influenced the Office’s work abroad? Is there any estrangement in the relations with the foreign colleagues?
Karapetyan: I should say that the previous year saw an increase by third of international activities that were held both in Russia and abroad and which were attended by the chief leaders of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Therefore, the sanctions introduced by the European Union countries and a number of other countries have had almost no effect of our interaction with the foreign colleagues.
In particular, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation is still actively participating in the events addressing legal cooperation held by intergovernmental organizations and forums, in particular, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Financial Action Task Force.
The interaction of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the RF with the partners from the CIS in the spheres of the provision of legality, protection of human rights and freedoms and crime prevention is carried out within the framework of the Coordination Council of the Prosecutors General of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States which holds annual meetings.
The partnership between the prosecution services of the State Members of the Eurasian Economic Union is strengthening.
The fact that the representatives of the Russian prosecution service are members of the executive and working bodies of a number of authoritative international organizations attests to the its high international authority. In particular, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yury Chayka is a member of the Senate of the International Association of Prosecutors and Intergovernmental Anti-Corruption Council established within CIS. Since its establishment in December 1995, the Coordination Council of the Prosecutors General of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States is headed by the Prosecutor General of our country. Moreover, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation was elected a member of the Bureau of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) created within the Council of Europe.
Izvestia: You have mentioned partnership with the Council of Europe. Wasn’t it complicated in connection with the notorious anti-Russian verbal attacks by the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE)?
Karapetyan: Despite completely irresponsible resolution on Russia by the PACE in connection with the events in Ukraine, we are still maintaining close working ties with the administration of the Council of Europe and its secretariat, primarily concerning the issues of the prosecutorial activities in the sphere of human rights protection and combating crime.
In particular, upon the initiative of the Russian representatives a statement concerning the commission of terrorist attacks was adopted at the latest Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) meeting last November. It highlighted the role of prosecutors in fighting terrorism and calls for its strengthening by promoting the efficiency of international partnership.
Izvestia: Two month ago the investigation of Alexander Litvinenko’s death was completed in England. What do you think about its outcomes?
Karapetyan: As already mentioned in the statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the British party decided to conduct quasi-legal proceedings instead of an objective and unbiased investigation of the death of the Russian citizen Alexander Litvinenko, and it appeared that their single aim was to smear Russia and its leaders. At the very first stage after the criminal proceedings were initiated on this matter we declared our openness and interest in establishment of the truth. We executed the British legal assistance requests and provided all the necessary materials to our foreign partners. However, after our refusal to extradite Russian citizens Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun to the Great Britain (which is precluded by virtue of our Constitution), the English party refused to help us in our investigation. I think that the aim of the British law enforcement agencies was not to find out the truth but to organize and pursue not a criminal but a political process.
Now, after 10 years’ time, during which the format of the investigation had been intentionally changed, it is safe to assume that the British party has never had and does not have now any real evidence of our citizens’ guilt.
Izvestia: How is the partnership developing in the crime prevention between the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia and the foreign colleagues?
Karapetyan: The partnership is being carried out in numerous directions, but I would like to focus on the most, so to speak, applied direction – the issues of extradition and legal assistance in criminal cases. At the moment, international cooperation in the sphere of criminal proceedings is being maintained with almost 80 foreign partners. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation examines over 10 000 materials annually concerning extraditions, legal assistance in criminal cases, wanted lists and other issues within the competence of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation.
In 2015, we considered over 6600 Russian and foreign requests for legal assistance. We forwarded abroad over 300 requests for extradition with a view to their criminal prosecution or enforcement of the sentence, and examined over 1500 foreign extradition requests. As the result of examination of our requests, 146 people were extradited to Russia. The decisions granting the extradition from Russia were rendered in respect of 1036 persons as a result of consideration of foreign requests.
The Prosecutor General's Office
of the Russian Federation
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
31 March 2016, 10:09
Please find below the interview for the newspaper “Izvestia” by the Head of the General Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office of the RF Mr. Saak Karapetyan
The Prosecutor General's Office: It is increasingly more difficult for the criminals to hide abroad from the RF
The Head of the General Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office Mr. Saak Karapetyan told “Izvestia” how Russia is addressing the issue of recovery of the stolen assets
The Head of the General Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Prosecutor General's Office of the RF Saak Karapetyan told in the interview to the reporter of “Izvestia” Svetlana Subbotina about the fugitive oligarch Berezovsky’s estate, about the response from the International Association of Prosecutors to Mr. Navalny, about what is in store for Mr. Khodorkovsky and how many criminal assets have been returned to Russia.
Izvestia: Mr. Karapetyan, we have been informed that the Executive Committee of the International Association of Prosecutors dismissed a complaint of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) regarding the Prosecutor General of Russia Yury Chayka. But when was it filed and what did the Foundation seek?
Karapetyan: We did receive the notice from the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) informing that the complaint regarding the Prosecutor General Yury Chayka was considered at the meeting in Helsinki on 15 March 2016. The Committee unanimously concluded that there were no grounds for any further steps in relation to this complaint.
In accordance with the Charter of the Organization, after considering such complaints all involved parties shall be informed about the decision made. The Association is very authoritative organization in the field of legality protection, and its decisions are of great importance within the international prosecutors’ community. The complaint was filed in December, and after its consideration the members of the executive body of the Association produced a very clear and precise response. There are no grounds to doubt the honesty of the Prosecutor General of Russia.
Izvestia: One of the activities of your Department is the work on extraditing criminals who fled abroad from Russia. How is this work organized? According to the media the former Head of Rosgranitsa (State Border Facilities) Dmitry Bezdelov will be extradited to Russia by the end of January. But I have not heard about his extradition yet.
Karapetyan: The question of extradition has been resolved: the Italian officials have granted Bezdelov’s extradition. The former Head of Rosgranitsa was detained under our request, and we are expecting his extradition. Let me explain how this process is carried out. Criminals try to postpone their return to their homeland in every possible way, and try to appeal every step, so the dates of the extradition are somewhat moved.
The procedure of extradition is as follows: once the Prosecutor General’s Office is informed that everything is ready for the extradition, we instruct the Federal Service of Enforcement of Punishment, indicating the dates, and the convoy officials go to the designated place where they are handed over the person and then escort him or her to Russia. I would remind that we are dealing not only with the case of Bezdelov who is accused of creating a criminal society and fraudulent stealing of public funds on an especially large scale with the use of his official position.
Izvestia: What are the other cases? Do you mean the Yukos case?
Karapetyan: Unfortunately, the Yukos topic was artificially politicized in many countries where people who are charged in these matters are hiding; they are about 30 in number. This creates certain difficulties for us in addressing our tasks. However, we have made some progress in this issue.
As a result of active interaction with the competent authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, the extradition of Natalia Konovalova was granted who is convicted of stealing the funds exceeding 8 billion rubles from the company Tomskneft, which is a Yukos subsidiary. Our request for her extradition had been considered for 5 years. Initially the decision was to refuse the extradition with reference to an alleged political motive of the criminal prosecution. As a result of a 5 year long painstaking work, we succeeded in obtaining the extradition of Mrs. Konovalova to Russia. This is the first and, hopefully, not the last case of extradition of the person convicted or accused of the crimes related to the fraudulent activity of the former Yukos executives.
Incidentally, they use big financial resources representing themselves in foreign media as “opponents of the political regime”. But, as you can see, they do not always succeed in doing this. We are going to work consistently in order for all the persons accused and sentenced in absentia in Russia under the so-called Yukos case be returned to Russia for bringing them to justice.
In particular, we provided the Interpol with additional materials with a view to put Mikhail Khodorkovsky on the international wanted list. To this end we will use all the existing mechanisms and procedures.
Izvestia: How many Russian citizens are now on the wanted list with a view to their subsequent extradition?
Karapetyan: At the moment, there are more 3000 accused or convicted in Russia who are included in the INTERPOL wanted list at our requests.
Izvestia: Can you give any marquee names?
Karapetyan: For example, final court decisions have been rendered in France granting the extraditions of Mukhtar Ablyazov, the former owner and the chairman of the Board of JSC BTA Bank who is accused of multibillion stealings, and Alexey Kuznetsov, the former Minister of Finance of the Moscow Region. Both of them have been in custody in France for 2.5 years. We expect that this year the French authorities will make the final decision concerning their extradition to Russia.
In addition, Belarus extradited the former Deputy Head of the Supreme Court Justice Department Evgeniya Titova who is accused of fraudulent actions and causing damages to the federal budget of the Russian Federation in the amount of over 25 million rubles.
We expect that Austria will extradite a major crime boss Mr. Gagiev. The criminal group which he headed committed some grave offences, murders. He is the gang leader, many other members have been convicted and are serving sentences. He fled to Austria, we managed to locate him and obtained his extradition – the Austrian law enforcement agencies detained him, though he made attempts to influence the Austrian judicial authorities as it was in his interests to protract the extradition process.
Izvestia: Are the criminals extradited to our country only provided extradition treaties exist between Russia and these states?
Karapetyan: No, not only. The partnership may, for example, be based on the principle of reciprocity.
Izvestia: Which countries do fugitives choose?
Karapetyan: The criminals increasingly trying to flee from justice in the countries with which Russia does not have extradition treaties. However, in the recent years we have successfully resolved the issues of extradition with such countries as Chile, Ghana, Cambodia, Paraguay, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In 2014, we obtained extradition from Ecuador of a person who was organizer and leader of the criminal group engaged in large deliveries of cocaine to Russia, Savkich by name.
Last year, as a result of joint actions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia deportation was carried out from Cambodia of Sergey Polonsky accused of the stealing of funds in the amount of over 2 billion rubles from over 100 Russian citizens.
Another example of cooperation with the country with which we have no extradition treaty is Thailand. Over the last five years 39 wanted persons were returned to Russia (19 of which in 2015).
Izvestia: If a country, for example, Russia, refuses to extradite its citizen, how may the principle of inevitability of responsibility for the crime be realized?
Karapetyan: Indeed, many countries, including Russia, do not grant extradition of their own citizens. But it should be taken into account that this restriction is not aimed at prevention of their criminal prosecution but at protection from possible violations of their rights during the investigation, court proceedings and serving of sentence abroad.
For the last three years over 450 criminal cases were received in Russia from abroad with requests of criminal prosecution of the Russian citizens who committed crimes abroad. Further to their consideration by the Russian courts, over 100 convictions were issued.
For example, last year a request from the US Department of Justice was executed for the prosecution of the Russian citizen Mr. Rakosiy accused of murdering two people in the USA. An investigation was pursued at our request, and last November Mr. Rakosiy was found guilty of murder by the Tula Regional Court. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
In turn, when Russia receives a refusal to extradite the persons who are nationals of the requested countries, we consider forwarding the criminal files with a view to prosecuting these persons in their country of origin.
In the last three years we forwarded over 200 criminal cases to our partners with the requests for criminal prosecution of foreign citizens who committed crimes in Russia. Foreign courts have already rendered over 80 judgments of conviction based on our materials.
For example, following our requests, for the murders committed in Russia, Nazarov and Okhunov were sentenced in Uzbekistan to 14 and 12 years accordingly, Imanov - to 14 years in Azerbaijan. Teneshov and Babaev were sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in Azerbaijan for the commission of rape in Russia, and Bakhronov to 7.5 years in Uzbekistan for an attempted rape. Abukhanov and Otegenov were convicted to 7 years in prison in Kazakhstan for an attempted bribery.
Izvestia: How is partnership maintained in the sphere of recovery of funds derived from crime?
Karapetyan: Over the last two years our foreign colleagues seized at our requests the funds for over 350 million dollars, 6 large real estate property objects, including elite mansions and hotels in the resort areas, totaling to hundreds of millions euros. A lot of funds were recovered to Russia, yet we understand that is just a tip of the iceberg.
In my view, the powers of the prosecutor in this area should be extended and regulated in the Russian law.
Izvestia: Are there any landmark objects among the seized property?
Karapetyan: In Cote d'-Azur there is a contested property once bought with the funds derived from crime by Boris Berezovsky. It is two huge castles, and the reason for their being contested are the appeals against the seizure of property on the part of numerous relatives of the fugitive oligarch. We hope that this property will be eventually transferred to Russia. The property is usually sold, and is returned as the money funds.
Izvestia: Which countries are, if we can say so, more or less willing to help in such cases?
Karapetyan: Many countries declare that they are willing to assist in recovery of stolen money, but when it comes to real actions, many things change.
For example, comprehensive programs against foreign corruption and kleptocracy are elaborated and implemented in the USA, but for some unknown reason, they are not willing to assist us in the criminal prosecution of the former Minister of Finance of the Moscow Region Alexey Kuznetsov and likewise Sergey Danilochkin accused of stealing of the budget funds exceeding 5 billion rubles. A similar situation is in the relations with the United Kingdom which refuses to disclose information on the whereabouts of this or that thief and where he had hidden the money. As a reason for refusal, they are referring to the “danger to the sovereignty and security” of their country.
Our partnership with France may be described as successful. Last year new high-price real estate real objects were identified in France with a total value of over €20 million owned by the above mentioned Kusnetsov and his accomplices. Our colleagues are investigating into the money laundering in France by this criminal group of the proceeds derived from crime in Russia. An agreement has been reached to seize these assets in the interests of the Russian Federation for its subsequent sale and recovery of the funds. Previous attachment of such real estate objects, as Courchevel hotels, for a total value about €100 million, is still valid.
Moreover, the Appellate Court of Rome, Italy, in accordance with the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia made a decision to seize three apartments and two garages totaling over €1 million bought with the funds stolen by the former Deputy General Director of the CJSC Moscow Easter Festival Igor Zotov who was convicted in Moscow in May 2015. In Riga, Latvia an elite apartment was arrested priced at about €680 thousand owned by the former Head of the OJSC Bank of Moscow Andrey Borodin accused of stealing of billions of rubles from the bank.
I would like to make particular mention of the partnership with our colleagues from Switzerland. The employees of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office of this country are true professionals. They are actively fighting for the reputation of the country by setting a goal to clean its banking system from the “dirty” money. This fight is bearing fruit. According to the law enforcement agencies of different states, the most favorable places for money laundering of the proceeds from crime are now London and Dubai.
In the recent years, over $110 million were recovered from Switzerland upon our requests. The latest example is the recovery of the funds of the former member of the Council of the Federation Igor Izmestiev sentenced to life for banditry and murders. The damage caused to the victims of the crimes committed by him in Russia was fully paid back from these funds.
Today we are jointly dealing with 20 serious cases. In particular, there are now funds totaling over $500 in the Swiss banks seized at our requests awaiting their turn to be returned to Russia. During our last meetings, an agreement was reached for gradual return of these funds. Now concrete measures have to be coordinated for the implementation of this agreement.
Izvestia: How long does it take to recover the funds?
Karapetyan: Unfortunately, the recovery of the stolen funds is a very lengthy process. The funds are transferred by the banks abroad by an order within one day, while their recovery may take years. There is a need for a permanent coordination of the actions with the foreign colleagues and a mutual informational and documentary support.
Izvestia: Recently information appeared about the return of many objects of cultural heritage to Russia.
Karapetyan: Yes, along with the recovery of the monetary and other assets to Russia, we are continuing work on the recovery to the Russian Federation of the numerous cultural valuables that were stolen during the “dark years”.
I would adduce the following example. There is an ongoing investigation in St. Petersburg concerning Vladimir Fainberg who is accused of stealing of the documents of the XVIII-XX centuries which are of great historical value from the Russian State Historical Archive in the mid-1990s.
As a result of the partnership with our American colleagues, we could return from the USA 28 old Russian documents. Among them there are imperial decrees signed by Peter the Great, Alexander the First, Alexander the Second, Alexander the Third, Paul I, Empresses Anna and Elizabeth of Russia. The handover took plane in March in the residence of American ambassador in Moscow.
Moreover, the Theotocos icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow” stolen in 2000 from the church in the Kostroma Region was returned from Italy in pursuance of the Russian request for legal assistance.
Izvestia: Have the sanctions influenced the Office’s work abroad? Is there any estrangement in the relations with the foreign colleagues?
Karapetyan: I should say that the previous year saw an increase by third of international activities that were held both in Russia and abroad and which were attended by the chief leaders of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Therefore, the sanctions introduced by the European Union countries and a number of other countries have had almost no effect of our interaction with the foreign colleagues.
In particular, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation is still actively participating in the events addressing legal cooperation held by intergovernmental organizations and forums, in particular, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Financial Action Task Force.
The interaction of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the RF with the partners from the CIS in the spheres of the provision of legality, protection of human rights and freedoms and crime prevention is carried out within the framework of the Coordination Council of the Prosecutors General of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States which holds annual meetings.
The partnership between the prosecution services of the State Members of the Eurasian Economic Union is strengthening.
The fact that the representatives of the Russian prosecution service are members of the executive and working bodies of a number of authoritative international organizations attests to the its high international authority. In particular, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yury Chayka is a member of the Senate of the International Association of Prosecutors and Intergovernmental Anti-Corruption Council established within CIS. Since its establishment in December 1995, the Coordination Council of the Prosecutors General of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States is headed by the Prosecutor General of our country. Moreover, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation was elected a member of the Bureau of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) created within the Council of Europe.
Izvestia: You have mentioned partnership with the Council of Europe. Wasn’t it complicated in connection with the notorious anti-Russian verbal attacks by the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE)?
Karapetyan: Despite completely irresponsible resolution on Russia by the PACE in connection with the events in Ukraine, we are still maintaining close working ties with the administration of the Council of Europe and its secretariat, primarily concerning the issues of the prosecutorial activities in the sphere of human rights protection and combating crime.
In particular, upon the initiative of the Russian representatives a statement concerning the commission of terrorist attacks was adopted at the latest Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) meeting last November. It highlighted the role of prosecutors in fighting terrorism and calls for its strengthening by promoting the efficiency of international partnership.
Izvestia: Two month ago the investigation of Alexander Litvinenko’s death was completed in England. What do you think about its outcomes?
Karapetyan: As already mentioned in the statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the British party decided to conduct quasi-legal proceedings instead of an objective and unbiased investigation of the death of the Russian citizen Alexander Litvinenko, and it appeared that their single aim was to smear Russia and its leaders. At the very first stage after the criminal proceedings were initiated on this matter we declared our openness and interest in establishment of the truth. We executed the British legal assistance requests and provided all the necessary materials to our foreign partners. However, after our refusal to extradite Russian citizens Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun to the Great Britain (which is precluded by virtue of our Constitution), the English party refused to help us in our investigation. I think that the aim of the British law enforcement agencies was not to find out the truth but to organize and pursue not a criminal but a political process.
Now, after 10 years’ time, during which the format of the investigation had been intentionally changed, it is safe to assume that the British party has never had and does not have now any real evidence of our citizens’ guilt.
Izvestia: How is the partnership developing in the crime prevention between the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia and the foreign colleagues?
Karapetyan: The partnership is being carried out in numerous directions, but I would like to focus on the most, so to speak, applied direction – the issues of extradition and legal assistance in criminal cases. At the moment, international cooperation in the sphere of criminal proceedings is being maintained with almost 80 foreign partners. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation examines over 10 000 materials annually concerning extraditions, legal assistance in criminal cases, wanted lists and other issues within the competence of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation.
In 2015, we considered over 6600 Russian and foreign requests for legal assistance. We forwarded abroad over 300 requests for extradition with a view to their criminal prosecution or enforcement of the sentence, and examined over 1500 foreign extradition requests. As the result of examination of our requests, 146 people were extradited to Russia. The decisions granting the extradition from Russia were rendered in respect of 1036 persons as a result of consideration of foreign requests.
