UK crime authorities reportedly detain Russian billionaire Fridman

WORLD  04 December 2022 - 17:33

Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman has been detained in London on money-laundering suspicions, according to Kommersant citing the UK's National Crime Agency.

As the crime agency announced, a businessman, whom it didn't identify, was arrested on November 1 at his London home on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office, and conspiracy to commit perjury, according to a statement released November 3. The man was later released on bail, it said.

Fridman is a co-founder behind Alfa Group, one of Russia's largest privately owned investment groups and owners of one of its biggest private banks, Alfa Bank. As Politico reported, he had been included in the EU sanctions list over the country's invasion of Ukraine, arguing that Fridman is "a top Russian financier and enabler of Putin's inner circle".

Alfa Group issued a statement on November 3 stating Fridman was not under arrest, not addressing whether Fridman had been released on bail, according to the publication.

As the Russian branch of Forbes reported, Fridman has told the publication that "everything was fine with him" and that he was planning to see friends on the weekend.

Caliber.Az