Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Ex-Minister's Swiss Accounts Frozen in Embezzlement Case – Report

Yelena Skrynnik

Swiss authorities have blocked bank accounts belonging to former Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik as part of an investigation into money laundering, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday, citing an unidentified source close to the matter.

Assets worth 60 million Swiss francs ($61 million) were frozen after an order by the Swiss prosecutor's office, the source said.

According to the agency, the move was connected to an investigation into Rosagroleasing, a state company that leases equipment to Russia's agricultural sector and was run by Skrynnik before she became agriculture minister in 2009, a position she held for three years.

The case concerns 1.125 billion rubles ($18 million) that was apparently embezzled from Rosagroleasing by officials and businesspeople. The source told Interfax that investigators were probing the origin of $140 million deposited on Skrynnik's accounts in Swiss banks between 2007 and 2012.

The ex-minister, who currently lives in France, is classified as a witness in the case, the source said.

In an interview with the Russian News Service radio station on Wednesday, Skrynnik denied the report.

“It's total lies. I don't have that sort of money,” she said. She declined to say whether she had foreign bank accounts.

In a related incident, Interfax reported on Tuesday that the Russian Prosecutor General's Office had asked Swiss authorities to seize 12 million Swiss francs ($12 million) on the accounts of a former deputy agriculture minister, Alexei Bazhanov, who worked as Skrynnik's deputy for two years.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more