It has been reported today that the Austrian State Protection Director has confirmed that three individuals and seven companies have been prosecuted for non-compliance with Russia sanctions.
No further details were provided.
UK’s OFSI imposes EU Russian sanctions civil penalty
OFSI today announced that it had imposed a civil penalty for breach of the UK’s Russian sanctions.
The penalty notice is available here.
The fine was imposed on Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition Limited (HKIWS), and was just £30,000.
The conduct in question was the receipt of funds and goods from a designated person. The goods in question were wine bottles. HKIWS was also found to have made “economic resources” available to a designated person. This was in the form of publicity, and illustrates OFSI’s wide view of what amounts to the making available of an economic resource.
UK – investigation into possible sanctions offences by Petr Aven
It has been reported today that the UK’s National Crime Agency is investigating possible sanctions breaches by six companies and individuals associated with Petr Aven who is a designated person under the UK’s sanctions.
The authorities have obtained Account Freezing Orders over two accounts allegedly holding £1.5 million and these orders are being challenged by Mr Aven.
Germany – Munich prosecutor investigates alleged sanctions breaches
It has been reported that the Munich state prosecutor has conducted comprehensive raids at the residence of a Russian citizen and four other suspects.
The Russian national is suspected of having recruited a security firm to observe properties in Upper Bavaria financially linked to him, and that the payments made to the firm were in breach of the asset freeze imposed on this designated person.
Also being investigated are the security firm and its staff.
The designated person has been named as Alisher Usmanov but this is a different investigation to the one we have separately reported.
Germany – raids on property of designated person
The German authorities have conducted raids on properties in three states relating to an investigation into Alisher Usmanov, a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.
The investigation is said to relate to transactions conducted between 2017 and 2022.
Germany – man charged for exports to Iran
Further to our earlier post, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release confirming that Alexander J. has been charged with various breaches of the EU’s sanctions against Iran.
The Iranian company purchasing equipment through Alexander J. is said to be a designated person, while the products themselves are also prohibited from being exported to Iran.
The goods are said to have been for use in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, and to have been valued at over €1 million.
Netherlands – 30 month custodial sentence for breach of ISIS sanctions
The Rotterdam District Court has imposed a 30-month custodial sentence on an individual relating to a two-year period in which financial transfers of approximately $140,000 were made in breach of EU sanctions against ISIS and Al Qaeda.
The transfers were related to efforts to smuggle Dutch women who had travelled to Syria and Iraq to be part of ISIS out of that region and back to the Netherlands.
UK – OFSI’s annual report for 2021-2022
OFSI has published its Annual Report for 2021-2022, top include the period up to the end of August 2022.
The report makes interesting reading on licencing and on the plans to grow OFSI’s head count to more than 100 staff.
The report notes that OFSI received 147 reports of suspected sanctions breaches, with a “significant” increase since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Germany – raids investigating alleged chemical exports to Russia
It has been reported today that the German authorities have conducted raids across Germany as part of investigations into alleged exports of chemicals to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The raids included the premises of the companies Riol Chemie GmbH and R.R. Rhein Reserve GmbH.
It is alleged that more than 30 separate exports have taken place in the last three or so years, and that the chemicals could be used to make chemical weapons including Novichok.
Luxembourg – regulator fines bank for sanctions compliance failings
The Luxembourg financial services regulator, the CSSF, has today imposed a a fine of €145,000 on Unzer Luxembourg SA for AML and sanctions compliance failings.
The penalty notice noted that the failings, including in sanctions screening, were identified as part of an on-site inspection in 2020 and 2021, and noted that the lack of a fine took into consideration the bank’s efforts at remediation.