Switzerland will return millions of dollars to those involved in the Magnitsky case • Agentstvo • RIMA

Switzerland will return millions of dollars to those involved in the Magnitsky case

The Federal Criminal Court in Switzerland has dismissed an appeal against the decision of the Swiss Attorney General's Office and will return the funds frozen during the investigation of the Hermitage Capital fund, The Daily Beast (DB) writes, citing the court decision. We are talking about unfreezing assets worth millions of dollars.

Details. The court's decision is based on the conclusion that it is impossible "to establish the existence of a criminal organization or gang involved in all operations" in this case, according to a court ruling dated November 23, available to the publication.

As a result, the assets of the former head of the Moscow tax number 28 Olga Stepanova and her husband Vladlen Stepanov for $5.5 million, the son of the former vice-president of Russian Railways Denis Katsyv for $8.1 million and banker Dmitry Klyuev for $33.7 thousand will be unfrozen. writes DB.
In addition, the Swiss court has deprived Hermitage Capital fund of victim status in this case. The founder of the investment fund, William Browder, commenting on the decision of the court, told the publication that "Switzerland has really gone over to the dark side."

Context. Hermitage Capital's auditor Sergei Magnitsky announced in 2007 that he had uncovered a scheme to embezzle 5.4 billion rubles from the Russian budget through illegal income tax refunds. According to him, employees of Russian law enforcement agencies were involved in the theft.

According to Hermitage Capital, ex-head of the Moscow Tax Inspectorate No. 28 Olga Stepanova and her ex-husband Vladlen Stepanov were involved in the withdrawal of part of the stolen amount - about $ 40 million. Part of the funds, according to the scheme disclosed by Magnitsky, ended up in the accounts of the closed Universal Savings Bank, owned by Dmitry Klyuev. The accounts of Prevezon Holdings, affiliated with Denis Katsyv, were among dozens of shell companies through which money was laundered as part of the fraud.
In 2009, Magnitsky died in the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center, where he was on charges of tax evasion. According to the official version, he died of heart failure.
In July, the Swiss Prosecutor General's Office dropped a criminal investigation into unidentified Russian officials and entrepreneurs who, according to investigators, could be involved in money laundering in the Magnitsky case.