Some 4 percent of GDP was illegally withdrawn from the Russian economy last year by money laundering in Russia and abroad, posing a threat to national security, First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said during a video conference call with President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday.
"Thorough analysis of the situation in the financial sphere, the situation with capital outflow and schemes to launder criminal funds inside the country has shown that of the $84 billion net outflow of capital in 2011, according to Central Bank and Rosinfomonitoring estimates, about 1 trillion rubles ($33 billion) was removed with signs of money laundering," Zubkov said during the call, Interfax reported.
Tens of billions of rubles are sitting "in exotic reinsurance markets like Tunisia, St. Louis, St. Kitts," Zubkov said.
"The law enforcement agencies are carrying out work" related to all companies suspected of involvement in laundering that trillion rubles, he said, "and criminal cases are being opened."
(MT)
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.