Bill Browder has for almost ten years examined corruption and money laundering, which can be derived from the Russian political and economic elite.
On a visit to Stockholm, he told us on Thursday about his work, not least with penningtvättskandalen of Danske Bank in Estonia.
Following the disclosure that Swedbank could be suspected of money laundering appointed the bank’s management, an external group of investigators. Their conclusions are presented on Friday.
on what he expected of the commission of inquiry said Bill Browder, it was the right of the bank to engage external reviewers.
But what makes me troubled is that they have had only three weeks, he said.
Browder pointed out that the external review as Danske Bank appointed worked for a considerably longer period of time and with very large resources ”tens of millions”.
“I don’t know if Swedbank’s investigation will give us so much, it seems a bit too early to announce it,” he said.
the Swedish financial supervisory authority, together with his Estonian counterpart will examine the information provided. The Estonian prosecutor’s office has also begun an investigation.
In Sweden, the serious fraud office launched a preliminary investigation concerning suspected insider dealing in connection with the transaction, but not yet about the money laundering – which Bill Browder want to.
” I would be surprised and disappointed if not Swedish national authorities will begin a criminal investigation, he said, in connection with a seminar on Thursday.
the Swedish government and the Swedish parliament to adopt a so-called Magnitskijlag, a law which makes it possible to freeze assets owned by the people who are committing serious crimes against human rights.
the Law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, the Browders, a Russian lawyer who revealed the tax money Browders company in Russia, paid, försnillats of corrupt government officials and police officers.
Magnitsky was imprisoned and beaten to death in prison nine years ago when he refused to pull back their accusations. Since then, Browder has been struggling to convince politicians around the world to adopt a Magnitskijlag after the american example.
Sweden has not yet adopted such a law. However, work is under way at EU level to introduce such a provision, which in this case is binding for all EU member states.
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