Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Accuses UK Of Conducting Unlawful Raid Using 15-Year-Old: Report

In a recent development, Mikhail Fridman, a Russian billionaire, has accused the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA) of conducting an unlawful raid on his family home based on what he calls “classic kompromat,” Reuters reports.

The Allegations: Fridman’s lawyers argue that the search warrant was obtained on the basis of false allegations from a 15-year-old report published by WikiLeaks in 2012.

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The report included claims of Fridman’s involvement in funding Russian organized crime, money laundering for Colombian drug cartels, and involvement in the murder of two journalists.

“These allegations are absolutely typical of classic kompromat, damaging and untrue information assembled and used to create negative publicity and to exert influence over the subject,” Fridman’s lawyer, Hugo Keith, stated in court filings.

The case will be considered at a full hearing in November.

The Sanctions: Fridman has been under British and European Union sanctions since March 2022, a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, due to his alleged ties to the Kremlin.

Forbes has estimated his net worth is $12.6 billion. He is currently challenging his designation under both the British and EU sanctions regimes targeting Russia over the war in Ukraine.

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