UK imposes sanctions on Isabel dos Santos, Ukrainian oligarch Firtash

The measures are a portion of nan Labour authorities tightening Britain’s anti-corruption sanctions regime.

The United Kingdom has barred Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash and stiff their UK assets, nan authorities announced, successful what it said was portion of a caller crackdown connected “dirty money”.

The measures connected Thursday were nan first measurement successful tightening Britain’s anti-corruption sanctions authorities arsenic promised successful July’s election, nan Labour authorities said.

“These unscrupulous individuals selfishly deprive their chap citizens of much-needed backing for education, healthcare and infrastructure – for their ain enrichment,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said successful a statement.

Dos Santos, whose begetter Jose Eduardo dos Santos served arsenic Angola’s president for 38 years until 2017, is Africa’s first female billionaire and has faced corruption accusations successful Angola and elsewhere for years. She denies nan allegations and says she is nan target of a long-running governmental vendetta.

She was sanctioned by nan United States successful 2021 for “involvement successful important corruption” and is barred from entering nan country.

Britain said dos Santos abused her positions astatine Angolan authorities lipid patient Sonangol and telecoms institution Unitel to embezzle astatine slightest 350 cardinal pounds ($440m).

Dos Santos mislaid an entreaty to overturn an bid freezing up to 580 cardinal pounds of her assets successful September arsenic portion of a suit astatine London’s High Court brought by Unitel. Global constabulary agency Interpol has issued a reddish announcement for her.

In a connection cited by nan Reuters news agency, dos Santos said that nan British sanctions were “incorrect and unjustified”.

“I was not fixed nan opportunity to take sides myself against these allegations,” she said. “I intend to entreaty and I dream that nan United Kingdom will springiness maine nan opportunity to coming my evidence.”

Dmytro Firtash, 1 of Ukraine’s astir influential oligarchs, astatine a proceedings successful Vienna, Austria [File: Samuel Kubani/AFP]

Firtash is wanted by Ukrainian and US authorities connected suspicion of embezzling astir $500m involving Ukraine’s state transit system. He says nan charges are without ineligible foundation.

He is presently successful Austria fighting extradition to nan US.

In June 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions connected Firtash, including nan freezing of his assets and withdrawal of licences from his companies, aft accusing him of trading titanium products to Russian subject companies.

Britain said Firtash had extracted “hundreds of millions of pounds from Ukraine done corruption”, and hidden tens of millions of pounds of ill-gotten gains successful nan UK spot marketplace alone.

Britain besides sanctioned his woman Lada Firtash, who it said held UK assets connected his behalf including nan tract of nan aged Brompton Road obstruction position of nan London Underground.

Latvian businessman and leader Aivars Lembergs, who was put connected a US sanctions database successful 2019 for alleged corruption, was besides sanctioned, arsenic was his girl Liga Lemberga. The British authorities said Lembergs had “abused his governmental position to perpetrate bribery and launder money.”

Lammy said nan penalties were nan commencement of a crackdown.

“I committed to taking connected kleptocrats and nan soiled money that empowers them erstwhile I became overseas secretary, and these sanctions people nan first measurement successful delivering this ambition,” he said.