LONDON (Reuters) – The United Kingdom on Monday sanctioned 14 Russians who it said were complicit in the corruption uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who was arrested and later died in prison after alleging Russian officials were involved a massive tax fraud.
The measures — which freeze the assets of the officials and bar them from visiting the United Kingdom — were enacted through a new law giving the government the right to penalise those it says were involved in the world’s most serious cases of corruption.
Those targeted include Dmitry Klyuev, identified as owner of Universal Savings Bank in Russia and who the British government said helped plan the $230 million fraud.
“Corruption has a corrosive effect as it slows development, drains the wealth of poorer nations and keeps their people trapped in poverty. It poisons the well of democracy,” Dominic Raab said in a statement.
Among 22 individuals sanctioned under the new Global Anti-Corruption regime, Britain also targeted the three Gupta brothers at the centre of the South African corruption scandal that contributed to the downfall of former President Jacob Zuma.
The Guptas are accused in South Africa of using their relationship with Zuma to profit financially and influence senior appointments. The brothers have denied any wrongdoing.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he welcomed the UK’s sanctions, saying they strengthened efforts to counter corruption globally.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Michael Holden)
