Swiss prosecutors have refused to initiate criminal proceedings against Artyom Chaika — the son of Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika — requested by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying there is no evidence that Chaika has been involved in unlawful activities, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday.
Navalny had high hopes for an investigation in Switzerland, calling it "the second front" after his Anti-Corruption Fund's (FBK) report on Chaika had been described by Russian authorities as "not worth a damn,” according to Interfax.
Navalny sent the request to Switzerland in December last year and claimed that Artyom Chaika had used semi-criminal connections to get a Swiss residence permit and to acquire real estate and business.
The Swiss confirmed Chaika's Swiss citizenship, though added that his house is still under construction and the company he owns is almost not-operational, which contradicts with Navalny's crucial accusation of Chaika laundering money from criminal activities, Kommersant reported.
Artyom Chaika's lawyer Ruslan Shumakov told Kommersant that the Swiss prosecution had notified him there were no claims against his client, adding that Greece had also confirmed the legality of all Chaika's transactions in the country.
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