International project of investigative journalism “Project of investigation of corruption and organized crime” (OCCRP) reported that its Lithuanian partner, the newspaper 15min.lt found in the database OCCRP documents which, according to the investigation, testify that about $ 30 million of funds associated with the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavel Lazarenko, are on the Bank account in Lithuania.
As the newspaper notes, the funds frozen in the account of the local branch of the Swedish Bank SEB, and Lithuanian courts every few months and continue the freezing for the last 17 years, reports “Radio Freedom”.
The Bank declined to comment on these data.
According to the investigation, we are talking about part of the total amount of the order of 200 or 250 million dollars, which is associated with Lazarenko and which were frozen in several countries with the filing of the US authorities in 2004.
Account referred to $ 30 million in the former Lithuania Bank Hermis Bank belonged to Lazarenko European Federal Credit Bank, which have already been eliminated. In 2000, the Lithuanian branch of SEB Bank bought the Bank Hermis with this account.
We will remind, Pavel Lazarenko fled Ukraine in 1999 and eventually was in the United States, where unsuccessfully sought asylum but was sentenced to more than eight years of imprisonment, a substantial fine and confiscation of property on charges related to money laundering.
In 2012 Lazarenko was released on expiry of the period and reportedly received the right to reside in the United States, where he lives with his family – his second wife, his former translator for the courts in the United States, and their three children. Meanwhile, U.S. law enforcement and continue to find out details on Lazarenko laundered funds.
