A former Bank of Moscow chief accused of corruption has reportedly paid $200,000 to a Washington lobbying firm to help him get an American visa.
Andrei Borodin was granted asylum in the UK in 2013 after fleeing corruption accusations in Russia. Russian prosecutors indicted Borodin and a co-defendant in 2017 with embezzling 150 billion rubles ($2.6 billion) as part of a loan deal to the wife of then-Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.
The exiled Russian oligarch has hired BGR Group, a top Washington lobbying firm to “help solve his visa issues,” The Hill news website reported Wednesday.
The lobbyist firm filed a form disclosing the payment but declined to comment on why Borodin is seeking to come to the US.
Borodin denies the embezzlement allegations and says he is being “persecuted” by Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, The Hill reported.
Russian prosecutors plan to try Borodin in absentia and relay the court decision to the U.K.
Last year, Borodin was granted access to his personal Swiss bank accounts totalling 354 mln Swiss francs ($378 million), the Vedomosti business daily reported in August.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
