Russia

Kremlin Aware of Money Laundering Case Against Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation

Opposition figure Alexei Navalny stated earlier that the police, the National Guard and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), had simultaneously searched more than 200 apartments of regional coordinators and activists and the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) centres in 41 cities.
Sputnik

The Kremlin is aware of an investigation against the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), but it has not heard any statements by its founder Alexei Navalny, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"As of now, we are not familiar with these [Navalny's] statements", Peskov said when asked to comment on Navalny’s statement about searches at the FBK, whose activities allegedly upset Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Alexei Navalny condemned the raids as the biggest police action in Russia’s modern history and a clear attempt to “intimidate” and "demoralise" the people. Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) earlier reported that the Russian police had searched the apartments of regional coordinators and activists in 41 Russian towns and cities.

Peskov noted that Vladimir Putin was extremely busy yesterday and he could not comment on Navalny's remarks since he had not seen the statement.

"Yesterday, Putin was not completely upset - neither in Botlikh [a town in the Republic of Dagestan], nor in Sochi, talking with the Israeli prime minister", the presidential spokesman stressed.

In August, the Investigative Committee of Russia summoned several employees of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), run by Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, for interrogation over a money laundering case, adding that it had also ordered to freeze the FBK's bank accounts. The committee stressed that the criminal investigation into the laundering of around 1 billion roubles ($15.3 million), obtained via criminal means is still underway.

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