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The American law enforcement agency FBI issued an arrest warrant for Vladislav Osipov (52) in February. A million dollars – about R900,000 – is being offered as a reward for information leading to an arrest. Osipov is said to have helped his confidant, oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, 66, to evade US sanctions and launder money, the accusation said.
Osipov has never been contacted by the American legal system
The search for Osipov is a farce, says his lawyer David Zollinger. Osipov’s whereabouts are known to the American legal system and he is participating in the proceedings in the United States through his lawyers. Osipov has already responded to the accusations several times. These were made public before a criminal investigation was opened. “The process is far from complete at this point,” says Zollinger.
The one million dollar bounty is particularly absurd because the investigation amounts to approximately a quarter of this amount as the alleged crime amount. In Switzerland, Osipov has never been contacted by the US judiciary, according to Zollinger, although he contacted the Federal Office of Justice a year ago after learning of the allegations from the media.
Russian passport surrendered upon naturalization
Russian-born Vladislav Osipov, who left his country of origin more than 24 years ago, was naturalized in Herrliberg ZH several years ago and subsequently surrendered his Russian passport. Lawyer Zollinger says that the offensive of the American legal system is actually aimed against Viktor Vekselberg. This has been on the US sanctions list since 2018. Since 2012, Osipov has been on the board of directors of the real estate company Züblin, in which a company owned by Vekselberg is the majority shareholder. Osipov resigned from Züblin’s board of directors in early 2023 after the proceedings against him became public.
Alleged cover-up
It remains unclear why the FBI conducted a search even though the law enforcement agency is said to know Osipov’s whereabouts. But spokeswoman Diana Freedman tells Blick: “In connection with the operation of sanctioned owner Viktor Vekselberg’s yacht Tango, the US Department of Justice has 17 counts against Vladislav Osipov.” The FBI spokeswoman explains that these are the subject of the investigation that has been launched.
Osipov is alleged to have tried to conceal the true owner of the 90 million francs yacht Tango.
Osipov the pawn sacrifice
The fact that an alleged British accomplice was released immediately after his arrest in Spain and not extradited to the US as requested by the US shows that this is unfounded, says Zollinger. But the FBI’s actions had serious consequences for Osipov: banks and even pension foundations had severed relations with his client and his family over their business policies. Zollinger sees Osipov as a ‘pawn’ that the US needed to push its political agenda. “That is why a Swiss must now defend himself against the strongest state in the world.”
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
