The United States announced Friday that it has charged two men suspected of helping a Russian oligarch under US sanctions avoid the seizure of his superyacht.
Richard Masters, a 52-year-old Briton, was arrested in Spain for extradition and Vladislav Osipov, a 51-year-old Russian-Swiss, is on the run, the justice ministry said in a statement.
The two men are accused of having helped Viktor Vekselberg, a close ally of Putin, to conceal that he was the owner of the yacht "Tango", whose value is estimated at 90 million dollars.
"Corrupt Russian Oligarchs"
Leader of the Renova group, a conglomerate based in Moscow, he was placed in 2018 on the list of oligarchs targeted by American sanctions following the invasion of Crimea by Russia.
American justice accuses Richard Masters, who manages a shipping company in Palma de Mallorca, of having renamed the ship "Fanta", in order to continue to work with American suppliers.
US sanctions prevent US companies, and their subsidiaries, from doing business with the targeted entities.
Read also Tracking Russian oligarchs: several billion euros already frozen by Brussels
“Osipov and Masters advised and allowed Tango employees to continue doing business with American companies, using several schemes to circumvent sanctions, including paying in currencies other than dollars and through intermediaries “,
According to the press release.
The Tango, a 78-meter long boat, was finally seized in April by Spain at the request of the United States.
The United States announced in March, after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the creation of a cell dedicated to the prosecution of
"corrupt Russian oligarchs"
and all those who violate the sanctions adopted by Washington against Moscow .