Reported from the source

Quick summary: The Munich II Public Prosecutor’s Office has closed a proceeding against Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov concerning suspected violations of the Foreign Trade Act and sanctions, following a payment of ten million Euros. The decision was made due to “peculiarities of the present individual case,” including unresolved legal questions and allegedly formal violations. Usmanov’s lawyer stated the payment is not an admission of guilt.

For three years, investigations have been conducted against Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov in Munich. The Munich II Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the closure of a proceeding against Usmanov, a figure considered a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in exchange for a payment of ten million Euros. The EU had placed Usmanov on its sanctions list on February 28, 2022, shortly after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The investigation focused on suspicions that Usmanov, between April and September 2022, allegedly paid approximately 1.5 million Euros through foreign companies for the surveillance of two properties in Rottach-Egern on Lake Tegernsee. Additionally, he was suspected of failing to declare various valuables, including jewelry, paintings, and wines, to the competent authority. Usmanov’s defense disputed his connection to the involved companies and valuables, as well as the applicability of EU sanctions to the case. The proceeding was closed with the consent of the Munich II Regional Court and the accused, citing “peculiarities of the present individual case.” The Public Prosecutor’s Office noted that “a multitude of legal questions not clarified by the highest courts” and the nature of some alleged violations as “partially formal” were key considerations. Of the ten million Euros, 8.5 million will go to the state treasury, while 1.5 million will benefit the Opferhilfe Bayern foundation and the Bavarian State Association for Prisoner Welfare and Probation Aid e.V. Usmanov’s lawyer, Joachim Nikolaus Steinhöfel, confirmed the payment was received and emphasized it is not an admission of guilt. Steinhöfel highlighted that legal experts have raised constitutional doubts about asset reporting obligations, and Usmanov chose this resolution to save time and resources. Usmanov, whose fortune is estimated at $18.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, faces several other legal proceedings in Germany. A case concerning alleged money laundering was closed in November 2024 after a payment of four million Euros. A third proceeding, investigating possible tax evasion related to his residency at Lake Tegernsee, is still ongoing, which Usmanov denies.

Source: www.tagesschau.de