Stop the Untouchables. Justice for Sergei Magnitsky.

Investigation into the Ūkio Bank: Prosecutors are clarifying whether money has been washed through it

The Lithuania Tribune

Questions have arisen over whether money that was stolen from the Russian budget has been washed through Ūkio Bank, lrytas.lt reported on 25 September. After appeals by the Great Britain fund “Hermitage Capital”, Lithuanian prosecutors are trying to determine if this has happened. It is argued that illegal transactions took place in 2008. The pathways of stolen money have been investigated by the lawyer of Hermitage Capital, Sergej Magnitsky, who died in November 2009 in a Russian prison. Western media has alleged that S. Magnitsky was tortured and later killed.

The General Prosecutor’s Office received a referral by email from Hermitage Capital on July 31th, and launched a preliminary study the following day. According to head Prosector of the General’s Office Communications Division, Vilma Žemaitytė, “They [Hermitage Capital] claim that through the Ukio Bank accounts money washings had been made in Lithuania.”

The investigation was launched under the Criminal Code, Article 216 paragraph 1. This article punishes “illegally acquired money or property legalization”. The penalty associated with such a violation can entail imprisonment of up to seven years.