PRESS RELEASE: Parliamentarians and campaigners welcome new anti-corruption sanctions hitting kleptocrats and enablers
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NGOs and MPs have applauded today’s announcement of fresh anti-corruption sanctions placed by the UK Government on “three notorious kleptocrats” and their enablers.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the sanctions marked “the start of a new campaign by the Foreign Secretary to clamp down on corruption and illicit finance”. The main targets of the clampdown are Dmitry Firtash, Isabel Dos Santos and Aivars Lembergs.
“Dirty money has taken hold in London’s property market”
The FCDO measures were immediately welcomed by Joe Powell MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, who said:
"Sanctioning some of the world’s most notorious kleptocrats and their enablers marks an important step in turning the tide against dirty money which has taken hold in London's property market.
“The APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax stands ready to support the Government's efforts to crack down on economic crime, which hurts our economy and hollows out our communities, including those in my constituency of Kensington and Bayswater. This issue has been at the heart of my campaign to tackle dirty money and restore trust in our housing market, ensuring homes are for people, not just investments for the corrupt."
“The start of the UK getting serious”
Oliver Windridge, Senior Counsel, International Lawyers Project and member of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition’s Sanctions Working Group, said:
“The UK puts down a big marker with this bold new anti-corruption campaign. Today's action, sanctioning some of the world's most notorious kleptocrats, is the start of the UK getting serious about using all the tools available to combat kleptocracy that destabilises the UK and drives conflict and insecurity across the world."
“What we need now are investigations”
Meanwhile, Oliver Bullough, author, journalist, and member of Spotlight on Corruption’s advisory board, commented:
“This is great news, and I hope it marks the beginning of the end of Britain’s role as butler to the world’s criminals. What we need now are investigations into the provenance of the wealth these people brought to the UK and, if that wealth is shown to be criminal, for it to be confiscated and returned to the people of Ukraine, Angola and Latvia.”
The three kleptocrats targeted by today’s enforcement action are:
Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch.
Isabel Dos Santos, once dubbed ‘Africa’s richest woman’ - reported as wanted by Interpol earlier this year.
Aivars Lembergs, one of Latvia’s richest people and sentenced to four years on multiple charges.
“A welcome gear-shift”
Today’s announcement hints that the new sanctions are just the beginning of a broader crackdown, with the FCDO saying the Foreign Secretary is “firing the starting gun on a new… campaign against dirty money.”
This move was lauded by Rachel Davies Teka, Advocacy Director at Transparency International UK:
“This most welcome gear-shift in the use of the UK’s anti-corruption sanctions regime addresses some of the historic flood of dirty money into our economy. For the tide to finally turn, cross-departmental efforts will be vital to strengthen regulation of the professionals who enable it, and to ensure Britain’s offshore financial centres finally embrace transparency, opening-up their company registers to public scrutiny. We look forward to seeing these ambitious plans in the Government's upcoming anti-corruption strategy.”
The broader dirty money campaign, officially launched with a video by the Foreign Secretary on his social media channels, was first announced in June 2024 with a six-point plan.
“The anti-corruption capital of the world”
Joe Powell MP added:
“I look forward to working with the Government to make the UK the anti-corruption capital of the world. We must continue to recover illicit assets, regulate enablers, and promote transparency so that we know the true owners of all properties. Today’s announcement is a clear signal that the UK is serious about tackling corruption and kleptocracy.”
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