04.02.2023


U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized the first-ever transfer of forfeited funds of Russian oligarchs for the rebuilding of Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, he said this in Washington on Friday, February 3, at a meeting with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
Garland recalled that the U.S. Congress had given “the Justice Department new authority to transfer certain assets we have seized from Russian oligarchs for the rebuilding of Ukraine.”
“Today I am announcing that I have authorized the first-ever transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine,” he said, adding that the assets were seized after the announcement he made last April of the indictment of designated Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev on charges of sanctions evasions. Garland said that at that time, he also announced the seizure of millions of dollars from an account of an U.S. financial institution traced to Malofeyev’s sanctions evasions.
He recalled that the day before, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York decided to seize these funds in favor of the United States.
“With my authorization today, the forfeited funds will next be transferred to the State Department to support the people of Ukraine,” Garland said.
According to him, the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable Russian oligarchs and other individuals whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine.
“We will continue to work closely with our international partners in support of investigation and prosecution of the atrocities that have occurred during this war,” he added.
On February 2, a U.S. court decided to confiscate $5.4 million from sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev, paving the way for the funds to be used to rebuild Ukraine.
Stupendous!
This is only a first but important step. Many mafia billions will be confiscated and handed over to Ukraine before all of this is over.
I will certainly concede that you are indeed a bigger optimist then I am. I read the article and saw $5.4million and I say WTF. Where’s the billions? Sorry for offering a discordant note but I do appreciate anything this administration will do for Ukraine.
Oftentimes, a first step is a small one. I never expected anything to come out of the desire to take away any money from the mafiosi and handing it to Ukraine, so this represents a real victory. It cracked open the box of more such actions. It sets a precedent case, and this is the real message here, not the amount.
Liked
Especially legally. When that door opens it can open the floodgates. I hope Treasury has been busy collecting info to find out where all the Moskali investments and properties are.
Hang in there Sir Cap, skepticism is healthy but in small doses 😉
Thank you